Have you ever heard of the term Shu Ha Ri?
When I first transitioned from a customer-facing role into Product & Engineering, I worked closely with a consultant who was obsessed with Martin Fowler. He shared this concept from martial arts (that Martin wrote about) that's stuck with me ever since.
Shu Ha Ri explains the three stages of learning:
Shu – You follow the teachings precisely. Rules are your safety net. You do without questioning.
Ha – You start understanding the why behind the rules. You explore how others do it. You experiment.
Ri – You've internalized the principles. You adapt based on context. You create your own way.
When I started as a PM, I clung to frameworks like my life depended on it.
Scrum ceremonies? Followed them religiously. PRDs? Every section filled out perfectly (or at least, that was the goal). ICE scoring? Never deviated.
I needed the structure because everything felt chaotic. The frameworks gave me something to hold onto.
Then I switched companies.
I saw teams doing Scrum completely differently. I saw PMs who never wrote PRDs but still shipped great products. I saw prioritization methods I'd never heard of.
That's when I moved from Shu to Ha – I started asking why these rituals existed instead of just following them.
Now? I'm firmly in Ri - at least when it comes to product.
I don't need a framework anymore. I need context.
I take bits and pieces that serve the team and the company. Some days that's a retrospective. Other days it's an old school PRD. It depends.
And let me tell you – it's so much more fun this way.
You've experienced this progression in everything you've learned:
Learning to drive: First you're hyper-focused on the mechanics – mirrors, gears, turn signals. Then it becomes habit and you understand why checking blind spots matters. Eventually you're navigating rush hour traffic while having a conversation. At least until you get to a certain age and then you need to turn the music down to see better 🙈
Learning to cook: You follow recipes exactly. Then you start understanding what happens when you leave pasta in longer or add more garlic. Eventually you're freestyling based on what's in your fridge.
Learning to dance: You stare at the teacher's feet trying to copy exactly. You practice with different partners. Eventually you're adding your own style and actually feeling the music.
Here's why this matters for your PM career:
If you're in the Shu phase right now – clinging to certifications, searching for "the right way" to do product management – that's okay. That's necessary.
But don't stay there forever.
The goal isn't to memorize more frameworks. The goal is to understand the principles so deeply that you can adapt them to any situation.
Some junior PMs spend years collecting certifications, desperately trying to find the perfect playbook. They're stuck in Shu, hoping the next course will finally give them all the answers.
But the uncomfortable truth? There is no playbook that works everywhere.
Every company is different. Every product is different. Every team dynamic is different.
The skill isn't knowing the framework. The skill is reading the room and adapting.
So if you're frustrated that you're not "there" yet – take a breath. Think about how far you've come already. The progression from Shu to Ha to Ri happens naturally as you practice.
You can't rush it. But you can be intentional about moving through the stages instead of staying stuck in one.
What's one example from your own learning journey that jumped to mind when you read this? Reply and let me know – I'd love to hear it.