The Four Agreements: A Foundation for Ethical Product Management

In the fast-paced world of product development, ethical leadership is often overlooked in favor of speed, efficiency, or profitability. But what if there was a simple, profound framework to guide product managers not only in decision-making but in building trust and integrity into everything they create? The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz offers such a framework, and when applied to product management, it becomes a powerful compass for navigating ethical challenges and leading with clarity and accountability.

1. Be Impeccable with Your Word

The first agreement—be impeccable with your word—urges us to communicate with integrity. In the context of product management, this means being honest and accurate in every touchpoint with your audience. Whether it’s marketing, user documentation, or technical specs, the information shared must reflect the product’s true capabilities. Overpromising features, under-delivering on timelines, or falsely labeling products (e.g., calling something “biodegradable” without verification) erodes customer trust and violates this foundational principle.

To be impeccable also means avoiding misleading statements about app performance, health claims, or product limitations. If your product isn't tested or certified in a certain way, don’t suggest otherwise. Ethical marketing isn’t just good practice—it’s essential for long-term customer loyalty.

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally

Product management involves navigating diverse feedback, conflicting opinions, and sometimes harsh criticism. The second agreement reminds us not to take these interactions personally. Reactions from users, stakeholders, or team members often reflect their own experiences, pressures, or expectations—not your personal worth or competency.

Effective leaders develop emotional resilience by understanding the drama triangle—identifying when they’re falling into roles like victim, rescuer, or persecutor. Instead of reacting, grounded leaders pause, assess, and respond with clarity. Building micro-practices that support emotional regulation and self-awareness can help maintain a calm and centered approach even in challenging conversations.

3. Don’t Make Assumptions

Perhaps the most obvious application in product development, the third agreement—don’t make assumptions—is a call to rigor. Assumptions are the root of misaligned products, poor design decisions, and failed launches. Instead, product managers must consistently engage in customer research, prototype testing, and data analysis.

From user interviews to surveys to beta tests, validation must be a continuous process. The principle also applies internally—don’t assume your team understands priorities or timelines unless you've clearly communicated them. Don’t assume your infrastructure will hold up unless you've tested it. Building a culture where validation and transparency are central helps eliminate blind spots and creates stronger, more resilient products.

4. Always Do Your Best

The principle of "always do your best" is deceptively simple. While it sounds like a call to action, the true meaning is deeply personal and nuanced. Doing your best doesn’t necessarily mean working 70 hours a week or pushing yourself and your team to exhaustion. Rather, it means making intentional decisions about your capacity, boundaries, and the systems you create to support long-term success.

Defining “Your Best”

The first challenge is defining what “doing your best” looks like for you and your team. For some, it might mean working late hours or maintaining a 24/7 global operation. For others, it may prioritize a healthy work-life balance with clearly delineated responsibilities. There is no universal answer—it depends on your personal values, the kind of service you offer, and what your customers genuinely need.

Setting Boundaries and Building Systems

Sustainable excellence begins with healthy boundaries. These boundaries ensure you don’t overextend yourself or burn out. When defining your service offerings, consider the systems that will support them. Who is on your team? What roles do they play? How many hours can they realistically work while maintaining quality? These questions are not just operational—they're strategic. They ensure your service can be consistently delivered over time.

Quality Attributes and Planning for Exceptions

In software engineering and service design, these system traits are known as quality attributes. For instance, if a customer needs help with a product, a chatbot might resolve 99% of cases. But what happens with the 1% of edge cases? That’s where backup systems—like human ticket support—come in. Planning for these exceptions is key to ensuring your service doesn’t collapse under pressure.

Establishing Clear Expectations: SLAs

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) formalize expectations between you and your customer. They define how quickly a response or resolution will occur. These agreements prevent service from becoming random or ad hoc. Instead, they bring structure and accountability to the customer experience. But they must be built on a clear understanding of customer needs, pricing structures, and staffing availability.

Aligning Price with Product Quality

Finally, it’s essential to align customer expectations with what they’re paying. If a customer is paying for a Pinto but expecting a Cadillac, you’re setting yourself up for failure. You must be honest with both yourself and your client about what their investment entitles them to. Otherwise, you risk delivering unsustainable quality or falling short of expectations.

Doing your best doesn’t mean overworking or overdelivering. It means crafting a thoughtful, well-supported approach to your work that aligns with your values, your team’s capabilities, and your customers’ needs. Through boundaries, systems, quality attributes, SLAs, and honest pricing, you create a professional environment where excellence is both possible and sustainable.

By applying the Four Agreements to product management, we anchor our work in integrity, empathy, discernment, and quality. These timeless principles aren’t just personal—they’re profoundly practical for leading teams, designing products, and earning long-term trust in a noisy market. Ethics is not a side conversation in product management—it’s the foundation. And frameworks like this give us the tools to lead with purpose.