Don't Wait for the Re-Org
If you're waiting for a formal declaration to build differently, you're already too late
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 2
- Confidence
- 90%
A permission-granting stance for individuals inside changing organizations: adopt the full-stack builder mindset before any official re-org, title change, or tooling mandate arrives. Prove the mindset by building — bringing in outside tools, shipping examples — rather than waiting to be authorized.
Origin
A recurring exhortation from Tomer Cohen (LinkedIn CPO) to his team and to leaders and ICs at other companies.
Core principles
- 01Waiting for a formal re-org or declaration means you've waited too long
- 02Mindset matters more than title — 'I could care less about your title, I care about how you work'
- 03Your career incentive (staying at the cutting edge) is aligned with the org's need (adaptability)
- 04Becoming beats being — stay in continuous progress mode
How to run it
- 1
Give yourself permission to start now
Don't wait for the right tools, a title, or an official program. Grab a tool from the outside, bring it in, and start building differently today.
Pro tip Prove you're a full-stack builder in mindset before anything else — that naturally pulls the formal change along behind you.
Watch out A formal title alone is worthless; 'changing your mindset to a full-stack mindset is what I'm looking for.'
- 2
Show examples and bring others along
Demonstrate wins publicly, share the tools and prompts that worked for you, and invite peers to explore, so your influence extends beyond a few individuals.
Pro tip If your CPO or CEO isn't announcing this kind of program, go do it anyway — or join an organization that does.
In the wild
A LinkedIn user researcher saw a long-open growth PM role, said 'I feel I can do it,' used the full-stack builder tools, and moved into the role — a career path you don't normally see.
→ She became a growth PM and a living example that reframed what mobility and full-stack building look like for the whole org.
Instead of waiting for an engineer, a head of partnerships used the tools to build the developer portal and its connectors himself — without even delegating to his team.
→ A powerful 'I can do it, you can do it as well' proof point celebrated across the organization.
Common mistakes
Waiting for a formal re-org or mandate before changing how you work
By the time the official declaration arrives you've forfeited the window to be at the cutting edge; the whole point is to move before permission is granted.
Chasing the title instead of the mindset
Being called a full-stack builder means nothing; without actually adopting the flex-across-functions mindset the label dilutes the value of the program.
Is it for you?
Best for
Individual contributors and mid-level leaders who want to stay at the cutting edge without waiting for top-down authorization
Not ideal for
People who genuinely prefer deep specialization — Cohen explicitly says that's okay and not everyone should be a full-stack builder
From the transcript
“if you're looking for a formal re- org or declaration to start building differently, you're waiting too long.”
“here's a permission for me to just not wait and just go”
“prove that you're a full stack builder in mindset before anything else”
“I could care less about your title. I care about how you work.”
“whether or a lot or not your CPO or your CEO is announcing this type of program go do it or join an organization that…”
From the episode
Why LinkedIn is turning PMs into AI-powered "full stack builders”
Tomer Cohen (LinkedIn CPO)