Don Cosseboom

For me, ADPList is a practical way to give back while staying close to the real questions people are wrestling with right now. A lot of the conversations are about career transitions, job search, confidence, and how to tell a clearer story about your work — all of which are very real in product right now. I get to help people move forward, and I usually come away sharper myself.

I’ve been lucky to have both formal and informal coaching and mentoring relationships over the course of my career, and they’ve taught me a lot. Product can be a surprisingly solitary profession, especially when you’re carrying ambiguity, navigating change, or trying to make a hard call with incomplete information. Mentoring feels like a way to give some of that back — and to help other people feel a little less alone while they figure things out.

Lead with the outcome. Don’t start with the process — start with what changed, what improved, or what mattered, then explain how you got there.