What is HIPPO?
A HiPPO is the “highest paid person’s opinion”, or a person who is perceived to have the most authority to decide on how to improve a product. As a rule, HiPPOs have the most experience and power in the room and often are executives or board members. When there is a HiPPO in the room and they voice their opinion, all discussions usually die away, and people fear to contradict even when they disagree. Though HiPPOs usually have good intentions, it is dangerous to fully rely on their opinion, because this drives the team away from data-driven decisions.
Why is it dangerous?
When the highest paid person constantly experiences success, they may fall into the illusion of being always right and always having the best idea. When no one challenges them, it adds to their sense of superiority, which can result in losing touch with customers’ needs.
Besides, humans tend to believe those they see as experts and follow their opinion without questioning it. As a result of the authority bias, a HiPPO has more weight than other voices and is often presented as a fact. Yet, even the most expert opinion remains subjective if not supported by data and following it blindly can increase cost, waste the team’s time and resources, and shake the team’s confidence.
How to oppose HiPPOs?
Though HiPPOs can be dangerous, there are several tips that help the team and the Product Manager to protect their product roadmap from going a wrong direction:
Listen to a HiPPO.
Any feedback is valuable, not only that coming externally from the customers. Besides, it’s reasonable to assume that most people in the company have good intentions and just want to share their ideas and concerns. In the end, it’s always up to the Product Manager to choose which way to go, and no one will force you to follow every advice, but it is still important to hear it.
Depersonalize decision making.
It is well-known that the optimal decisions are data-driven, rather than based on authority or a gut feeling. Data takes the emotions out of decision making and provides valuable insights. When the decision-making process is depersonalized, subjective opinions become irrelevant, including the HiPPOs.
Support your plans with solid data.
It’s important to build a data arsenal that will support your opinion on every concern expressed by the highest paid person. The data can be both qualitative, such as customer feedback, and quantitative, such as product metrics and market research. Use your findings to explain every step in the product roadmap.
Prepare the team.
Before heading into an important meeting with executives, take time to prepare and inform the team about the facts and the data that supports your position. If you have reached evidence-based consensus, it will be easier to challenge the HiPPO.
Prepare the product roadmap.
If you feel that an executive is too determined to implement an idea that you don’t agree with, a well-researched product map is the best ally. You can go over each initiative and priority on your roadmap and explain all the analysis behind every decision and all anticipated results. Finally, with a product roadmap at hand, you will be able to show the cost of a change to the existing plan.
It is often difficult to say no to a highest paid person, but ultimately, it’s beneficial for the whole company if you stand your ground and prove your vision supported by data and thorough research.
