4 Seconds: How Fast Board Directors Decide You're 'Not Strategic
True story: Last month, I decided to record myself presenting to a board member. I thought I’d done well. Strong content. Clear roadmap. Data-backed recommendations.
Then I listened to the playback.
47 filler words in 8 minutes. Uptalk on every third sentence. And it took me 2 minutes and 18 seconds to get to my actual point.
I sounded like a junior analyst, not a product leader who’s been doing this since 2007.
Jay here.
After 17,000+ podcast downloads interviewing product leaders, building Product Coalition to 1M+ readers, and running product at companies across 3 continents..,
I still sabotage myself with my voice.
And based on what I’m hearing from our 11,000+ Substack members, I’m not alone.
The Research That Shook Me
MIT Study Results:
73% of executives lose credibility in the first 30 seconds of speaking
Not because of content. Because of delivery.
Once lost, credibility rarely recovers in that meeting
Stanford Research:
38% of your impact is vocal tone
55% is body language
Only 7% is actual content
Translation: Your brilliant strategy means nothing if your voice screams insecurity.
McKinsey Client Survey:
67% of executives say poor communication is their #1 vendor frustration.
Not bad products. Not high prices. Poor communication.
The Day Everything Changed
After that recording incident, I went deep. Psychology research. Neuroscience papers. Executive coaching frameworks.
What I discovered was worse than I thought.
It’s not just filler words. It’s behavioral patterns hardwired into our brains.
The 4 Saboteurs I Found:
1. The Imposter Voice
Overcompensating with jargon. Speaking too fast. Over-explaining everything because deep down, you feel like a fraud.
2. The Peacock Syndrome
Can’t stop talking about features and accomplishments. Need to prove you’re smart. Missing every cue that they want you to wrap up.
3. The Approval Seeker
“I think maybe...” “Sorry, but...” Hedging every statement. Agreeing too quickly. Your voice literally goes up seeking validation.
4. The Data Dumper
Leading with spreadsheets instead of outcomes. Technical accuracy over business impact. Losing the forest for the trees.
I had three of the four. Badly.
So I Built Something
Look, my philosophy has always been: “Just put your crash helmet on, and get on with it.”
But this time, I needed data. Real assessment. Brutal honesty about where I stood.
So I created the Executive Voice Assessment.
It’s the tool I wish I’d had five years ago. Hell, ten years ago.
What It Does:
20-point voice credibility assessment
Behavioral pattern identification (which saboteur are you?)
Neuroscience-based analysis of your stress responses
Shareable dashboard that shows exactly where you stand
Career impact calculator (this one hurt)
My Results Were... Humbling
My Executive Presence Score: 4.2 / 10
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
Verdict: “DEVELOPING” (aka: Not Executive Level)
The Career Impact Calculator was brutal:
Promotions likely missed: 2
Salary impact: ~$75,000
Deals lost to poor presence: 30-40%
But here’s what really got me:
My Dominant Saboteur: The Peacock Syndrome
Severity: HIGH
Pattern: “Need to prove worth constantly”
Career Impact: “Major obstacle to advancement”
After all these years, I’m still trying to prove I belong in the room.
The Neuroscience Made It Worse (and Better)
The assessment showed my “Amygdala Hijack Risk” was EXTREME.
Basically, when I’m in high-stakes meetings, my primitive brain takes over. Heart rate spikes. Cognitive load hits 85%. And I default to my worst communication habits.
It’s not a character flaw. It’s biology.
Which actually made me feel better. It’s fixable. But only if you know what you’re fixing.
Why Every PM Needs This Wake-Up Call
Here’s what I’ve learned managing teams at RAC, FindYourGrind.com, and building Product Coalition:
The best product managers aren’t always the ones who advance.
It’s the ones who sound like executives. Who command rooms. Who get 30 seconds into speaking and everyone leans in instead of checking their phones.
From our community who tested it:
“Used the assessment in my review. Manager said it showed more self-awareness than any PM on the team. Got approved for executive coaching.” - Senior PM at Microsoft
“My score was 3.1. Explains why I keep getting passed over. At least now I know what to fix.” - PM at fintech startup
“The behavioral patterns section... I literally saw myself. Approval Seeker with a side of Data Dumper.” - Product Lead
The Dashboard That Changes Everything
The assessment generates a dashboard you can actually share. Not some PDF report. A real, data-rich dashboard that shows:
Your Executive Presence Score (huge, impossible to ignore)
Credibility Killers Count (behaviors destroying trust)
Filler Word Index (your verbal crutches exposed)
Rambling Score (how much you lose attention)
vs Executive Standard (percentage of where you should be)
Plus your dominant saboteur, brain-under-pressure analysis, and those painful career impact calculations.
It’s designed to make you uncomfortable. Because comfortable people don’t change.
The “Brutal Mirror” Exercise
There’s a section where you record yourself for 2 minutes explaining your product.
Then you count:
Filler words (target: <3)
Time to main point (target: <15 seconds)
Uptalk instances (target: 0)
“I think” or “maybe” hedges (target: 0)
Most people can’t finish this exercise. It’s too painful.
Good. Pain creates urgency. Urgency creates change.
Here’s What Happens Next
You have three options:
Option 1: Keep pretending your communication is fine. Keep wondering why others get promoted. Keep being delegated down to junior stakeholders.
Option 2: Take the assessment. Face the brutal truth. Get clarity on exactly what’s holding you back.
Option 3: Take the assessment AND do something about it. (This is where I am now.)
Download The Executive Voice Assessment →
What I’m Doing About It
Full transparency: After seeing my results, I created ExecReps.ai.
It’s AI-powered voice coaching. Daily workouts. Real-time feedback. Safe space to fail and improve.
Three weeks in, my filler words are down 60%. Time to point: under 30 seconds consistently.
But the real change? I’m not performing anymore. I’m just... talking. Like an executive.
“The scariest moment is right before you start. Whether it’s pivoting from design to product, leaving corporate to start Product Coalition, or facing the truth about how you really sound in meetings. Just put your crash helmet on, and get on with it.”
A Challenge From Me to You
Download the assessment. Complete it honestly. Share your score in our Substack chat.
I’ll go first: 4.2 / 10. Peacock Syndrome. HIGH severity.
Not great for someone running a 1M+ reader publication and interviewing C-level executives weekly.
But that’s the point. We all have gaps. The question is: Will you identify yours?
Get Your Executive Voice Assessment →
The Research Is Clear
From MIT, Stanford, Harvard Business Review, McKinsey, Psychology Today, and Forbes:
Your voice is costing you more than you think.
Not just money (though the calculator will show you that too).
It’s costing you respect. Authority. Opportunities. The chance to have your ideas heard at the level they deserve.
One Last Stat:
Harvard Business Review found that executives form opinions about you in 7 seconds.
Not 7 minutes. Seconds.
By the time you’ve said “Thanks for taking the time to meet,” they’ve already decided if you’re peer-level or junior.
This Isn’t About Being Perfect
Look, I still have a long way to go. My Lisbon accent comes out when stressed. I speed up when excited about data. I occasionally still peacock about Product Coalition’s growth.
But now I know. I can see it. Measure it. Work on it.
That’s all this assessment does. It holds up a mirror.
A brutal, data-driven, scientifically-backed mirror.
The question is: Are you brave enough to look?
Final Thought
In 2007, I pivoted from design to product because I saw where the industry was going.
In 2014, I started Product Coalition because I saw the need for a real PM community.
In 2026, I’m facing my communication gaps because I see what it’s costing me.
The executives who’ll thrive aren’t the ones with the best ideas. They’re the ones who can communicate those ideas at an executive level.
Which one will you be?
Cheers,
Jay
Founder, Product Coalition
LinkedIn | ProductCoalition.com
P.S. - If you’re brave enough to share your score, post it in our Substack chat with #VoiceAssessment. I’m genuinely curious how many of us are struggling with the same saboteurs.
Download Your Assessment Now →
What You’ll Get:
Excel-based assessment (works on any device)
4 comprehensive tabs: Dashboard, Voice Assessment, Behavioral Patterns, Neuroscience
Shareable dashboard perfect for 1:1s with your manager
Career Impact Calculator showing real costs
Personalized saboteur identification
Science-backed insights from MIT, Stanford, Harvard
The Brutal Mirror exercise (if you dare)
Free. No strings. Just truth.
Who This Is For:
PMs who keep getting “great individual contributor” feedback
Anyone told they need more “executive presence”
Leaders whose ideas get stolen by better communicators
Anyone who replays conversations thinking “I should have said...”
PMs ready to stop being seen as “tactical” and start being seen as strategic
Who This Is NOT For:
People who think communication doesn’t matter
Anyone not ready for brutal honesty
PMs who are happy staying at their current level
People looking for feel-good affirmations
This assessment will make you uncomfortable. That’s the point.
About the Research: Data compiled from MIT Sloan, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business Review, McKinsey & Company, Psychology Today, Forbes, and insights from Product Coalition’s global community of 1M+ readers and 7,000+ Slack members.
About Jay Stansell: Product leader since 2007. Founded Product Coalition in 2014, now the world’s largest independent PM community. Based in Lisbon, still working on his uptalk.
Privacy: The assessment is a downloadable Excel file. Your data stays on your device. We don’t track scores or results unless you choose to share them in our community.
Forward this to your product team. Misery loves company. Plus, it’s fascinating to see everyone’s dominant saboteur.