I'm halfway through Abundance (by Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson). The idea is simple: progress doesn't come from rationing what's scarce, it comes from creating the conditions for more of it.
It made me think about product. For years I thought the scarce thing was obvious - engineers, budget, time. But looking back, that's not what really slows teams down.
The scarce resource is trust.
When trust is low, you can feel it. Engineers try to de-risk everything because they're afraid of being blamed if it breaks. PMs keep polishing because sharing early feels risky. Designers overwork the details because they're afraid rough ideas won't be taken seriously. Feedback gets collected and quietly ignored, so people stop speaking up because they're afraid it doesn't matter. Nobody says "no" directly - but fear takes over and forward momentum grinds to a halt.
When trust is high, the fear drops away. Engineers are comfortable shipping thinner slices. PMs share messy drafts because they know iteration is expected. Designers put rough sketches on the table early. Feedback loops stay alive because people believe it will land. Saying no feels safe, not political. There's energy instead of defensiveness - and momentum builds.
And that energy compounds. Same people, same skills. Completely different speed. Because trust keeps the momentum flowing.
That's why I don't buy the idea that velocity is just a resourcing problem. More often, it's a trust problem.
And protecting trust isn't glamorous. It's showing messy work before it's ready. Explaining why you made a call. Responding to mistakes with curiosity instead of blame. Little signals that keep the flywheel turning.
Maybe abundance in product isn't about squeezing more capacity out of the system. Maybe it's about building the conditions where trust creates momentum - and momentum creates everything else.
