Buy-in doesn't usually fail with a "no." It fails quietly; polite agreement, then nothing happens.
Hosted by DKATALIS, this session brought together product managers, researchers, designers, and product leaders to talk about how buy-in actually works inside organisations, and the messy political reality behind it — closing with a thoughtful and candid Q&A with Cipta Pratama and Fitria Sabaruddin.
"Understand stakeholder bias. Some are persuaded by stories, others by numbers. The same idea can land very differently depending on who is in the room."
There's no simple formula for buy-in. But clarity signals conviction: if you can't articulate your findings succinctly, the story isn't ready.
What we took away
Why buy-in fails
- •Buy-in often fails silently. People agree politely, then do not follow through
- •Timing matters. When backlogs are locked and roadmaps are set, even strong ideas struggle if they do not align with the planning cycle
- •If your proposal does not connect to current priorities, it will not gain traction. That does not mean the idea is bad. It may simply be mistimed or misframed
- •Watch the energy in the room. A drop in excitement is often an early signal that buy-in is slipping
Making the case
- •Translate ideas into business impact. Connect them to revenue, cost, risk, or whichever metrics the organisation is prioritising
- •If priorities are unclear, look for patterns. Notice what leadership repeats, what gets funded, and what people discuss most often
- •Understand stakeholder bias. Some are persuaded by stories, others by numbers. Some look for internal consensus, others look to competitor behaviour for reassurance
- •Accept stakeholder input, even when it differs from your own view. Run short cycles to test ideas quickly. Co-creation builds ownership
- •If you are a senior leader, step in when new ideas require cross-functional alignment. Your experience and relationships can help unblock progress
On building long-term influence
- •If you cannot articulate findings succinctly, the story is not ready. Clarity signals conviction
- •One person's "no" is not everyone's "no". Build relationships across functions so insights have multiple paths forward
- •Do not stop at insights. Make the next steps clear. What needs to change, how it can be executed, and the potential impact
- •Tell the truth about what users need, even when it conflicts with organisational direction. Once a decision is made however, commit to making it successful
On AI's role and limits
- •Use AI to strengthen your case. It can help visualise insights clearly and pressure-test ideas from different functional perspectives before you present them
- •Be aware of overconfidence. Stakeholders may come with AI-generated insights that differ from on-the-ground data, making buy-in more complex
- •In high-stakes decisions, real evidence and lived context still carry the most weight