How to Kill Zombie Projects Without Killing Your Credibility

Truth: When a Project Refuses to Die, Your Reputation is the One That Suffers.

Some projects don't just drag on.

They drain you.

They follow you from meeting to meeting. They weigh on your head like a secret you can't speak out loud.

And no matter how much you try, you can't shake this feeling in the pit of your stomach:

You're still expected to make it work.

How do you push back on a bad project without looking difficult, negative, or "not a team player"?

You know this feeling:

• A project that lives only because someone powerful once said it mattered.
• Work with no clear outcome, no real customer need, and no proof it will ever succeed.
• The fear that speaking up will make you look negative or "not a team player."
• The slow grind of building something you don't believe in.
• The worry that this project is tying your reputation to something doomed.

You're asked to deliver results. But no one wants to talk about reality.

And YOU are the one stuck in the middle.

How do you survive the politics without losing yourself?

We know what it feels like to sit in a room and hear a project pushed forward… even though everyone knows it's not working.

We know the tightness in your chest when you consider saying something.

We know the voice in your head that says, "Don't. It's not worth the risk."

Because in many companies, it is a risk.

You don't want to be branded as the person who "always says no." After all, you're just trying to do good product work.

You're also trying to keep your job, your relationships, and your credibility.

And those things can feel at war with each other.

We're hear to tell you:

You are not "negative". You are not "being difficult."

You're operating in a system that punishes honesty and rewards momentum, even when it's false.

You Need a Way to Advocate for Great Product Work Without Losing Your Credibility

You're absolutely right: the organization should only work on the things that actually matter, not just someone's opinion.

You deserve:

• To work on initiatives grounded in evidence, not politics.
• To influence decisions without fear of being labeled difficult.
• To have frameworks that let you challenge assumptions safely.
• To feel confident, respected, and trusted, even when questioning direction.

So, picture this future:

• You walk into meetings with a clear plan.
• Your questions feel safe.
• Your voice lands.
• You're navigating healthy conversations with leadership.
• Leaders trust you because you bring clarity, not conflict.
• Your team feels lighter.
• Your roadmap finally reflects reality, not politics.

That's the future we want for you. And what this episode of Street Smart Product Manager Live! has been created to deliver.

Join David J. Bland, Founder of Precoil and author of Testing Business Ideas, and product Jedi, Shardul Mehta, in a live masterclass designed for one purpose:

To help you escape the trap of zombie projects without risking your reputation.

In this live, interactive hour, you'll learn how to:

• Spot zombie projects before they take over your roadmap.
• Break down risk in ways leaders can actually hear.
• Shift conversations from opinions to evidence.
• Test and validate projects without drama.
• Push back with confidence, calm, and control.
• Create safe exits for bad projects that no one wants to admit are failing.

You'll leave with actionable tools and real moves you can use right away.

And we'll answer all your questions!

Meet Your Expert Guides

David J. Bland — lead author of Testing Business Ideas and founder of Precoil. After more than a decade in startups, David saw a clear pattern: companies often ignored customer reality and built what they thought was right. That realization shaped his work. Today, he helps executives avoid the same costly mistakes by delivering assured decisions before spending millions. Global brands and industry leaders turn to David when they need to protect capital, unlock new growth, or reimagine existing strengths. His work has protected companies from wasting millions on bets that won’t scale, and created millions more by proving which ideas drive growth.

Shardul Mehta — He's been recognized as a "Product Jedi." 30+ years in product management and entrepreneurship, 4x founder, thought leader, mentor, writer, speaker, and veteran of startups and Fortune 100 enterprises across a variety of industries. Shardul has launched and grown products from 0 to $100M+. He writes one of the fastest-growing and most practically applicable newsletters for PMs worldwide, and is the host of Street Smart Product Manager Live!, a series dedicated to helping PMs bridge the gap between theory and practice. His work focuses on empowering product managers to think like business leaders — using insight, strategy, and influence to create products customers (and companies) love.

We’ve spent years inside the rooms where these decisions happen. We've seen what works, what fails, and what gets ignored. We know how to speak truth without triggering defensiveness. And we know how to help product people protect their integrity, influence, and future.

David has distilled those lessons for us in this live masterclass so you can do the same, faster.

Why You Need To Join Live

This episode is designed for product leaders, product managers, strategy executives, innovation sponsors, and anyone stuck running projects they didn't choose, can't stop, and don't believe in — yet are still accountable for.

In just 1 hour, you'll come away with:

• A simple way to identify zombie work early.
• A risk framework leaders understand and respect.
• Safer language for hard conversations.
• Tools to test assumptions fast.
• Steps to create graceful off-ramps.
• More confidence, more influence, and more control over your role.

Don't Stay Stuck. Step Into a Better Way.

If nothing changes, you'll stay in the same cycle:

• More wasted time.
• More pressure.
• More stress.
• More fear of speaking up.
• More hits to your credibility when the project fails anyway.

But when you know how to guide these conversations, everything shifts.

• You get your time back.
• You get your clarity back.
• You get your confidence back.
• You work on projects that make a meaningful impact to your customers.

And leaders start seeing you as the person who brings truth, not trouble.

🎟️ Join us live to learn how to end zombie projects without ending your credibility.

👉 Reserve your free seat today.

Event notes:

• Replay will be available to those who register.
• Inner Circle Members of Street Smart Product Manager will get the full premium career toolkit. Specific learning materials vary per event but examples include the transcript, slides, notes, learning guides, concept explainers, career tools, templates, and multimedia materials. Think of it as your own private training library!

Want these materials? Become a paid subscriber or Inner Circle Member of Street Smart Product Manager.