Saying "no" to senior stakeholders is a delicate balance. Reject too bluntly, and you risk damaging trust. Say yes too often, and you compromise focus. The goal is to push back without creating friction - ensuring that product decisions stay strategic while keeping stakeholders engaged.

Here are six ways to say no without burning bridges.

Stakeholders love data. It’s tangible, defensible, and helps justify big product decisions. But what happens when the numbers don’t tell the full story? For senior product leaders, the biggest decisions often come from a mix of evidence, intuition, and experience.