Sales-led products can be powerful - If it’s done right

Sales-led isn’t the enemy. In fact, it can be a massive competitive advantage.

Sales teams know what customers think they want. They’re on the frontlines, closing deals, uncovering pain points, and bringing in revenue.

That’s all great - until it turns into chaos.

When sales runs unchecked:

1. Promises get made that aren’t feasible.
2. Roadmaps get broken.
3. Product teams get blindsided and forced to “deal with it.”

And suddenly, instead of building a sustainable product, you’re ramming into a wall at full speed.

So how do we make it work?

Step one: Align sales and product - Or watch it burn.

Sales can lead the process, but they need to be aligned with product. A few simple rules would save everyone a lot of headaches:

1. No promises until product is consulted.
2. Sales must track and understand the roadmap.
3. Sales needs to know the product as well as the product team.

Here’s the reality:

Sales-led teams can’t afford sales teams that don’t understand the product inside and out. If sales is driving the strategy, they need full visibility into what’s possible, what’s in progress, and what’s non-negotiable.

Product-driven teams? They can afford a little more flexibility - sales not knowing every feature update isn’t the end of the world.

But in sales-led teams? If your sales team is making the decisions, they better know exactly what they’re selling.

The real problem?

It usually boils down to incentives.

Sales teams tend to love commissions. But commissions reward one thing: closing deals at all costs.

And that’s where things get dangerous.

Because when hitting quota becomes more important than reality, sales starts overpromising:

1. Features that don’t exist.
2. Timelines that aren’t realistic.
3. Priorities that weren’t even on the roadmap.

And the product team? They’re left cleaning up the mess.

The fix?

Incentives need to be structured in a way that aligns sales wins with product viability.

At the same time, product teams need to be flexible. If a deal is truly valuable and doesn’t destroy existing commitments? Revisit the roadmap. Shift priorities. Adapt where it makes sense.

It’s a balancing act - And everyone’s accountable. Sales-led works best in industries where data is limited, or where deals can’t be purely product-driven. It gives you an edge.

But reckless sales-led decision-making? That’s how you drive straight off a cliff.

What’s been your experience? How do you keep sales-led teams in check without slowing down momentum?