At LinkedIn, we often talk about "full stack" in the context of engineering and product builders, but the last few weeks have shown me how much that mindset can also apply to the broader world of work. My work over the past few weeks hasn’t fit neatly into a traditional “program management” role scope: • 🎙️ 3 weeks ago: I was in Davos for #WEF26, interviewing world leaders for LinkedIn News and coaching executives with strategies to build trust and influence through content. • 🇮🇪 Shortly after: I was in Dublin speaking to internal sales teams about how their presence on platform can position them as trusted advisors to their customers (plus, I got to see my amazing colleague + friend Jennifer Ryan!) • ⚙️ Last week, the "stage" shifted to a whiteboard, where I hosted the product design summit for a new creator relationship management tool we’re building, collaborating with colleagues from Bangalore and LA to architect a system that merges four legacy systems into one. In the past, I would have thought these workstreams belonged to separate roles: a producer, a comms professional, or a product manager. I assumed that to grow, I would eventually have to specialize as a more technical program manager or focus on creative and content-focused projects. In reality, all my work from the last three weeks has been in service to our global creator programs and our team's mission to build the voice of the professional world through news, skills, and communities. You can’t design the right programs or tools for users you don’t truly understand, and you can’t rally a community around a vision if the infrastructure isn't there to support it. As AI tech and innovation the way we work, the ability to flex skills across domains now feels like an opportunity. It allows us to tackle emerging priorities more quickly and makes us more adaptable and resilient to change. So, these days, when my work starts to feel like it doesn’t fit squarely into a traditional box, I’m trying to lean in - without losing sight of the broader goal. Has anyone else noticed a similar shift in their own work? How are you seeing the "full stack" mindset show up in your role?
You've had an incredibly busy 2026 and have been absolutely crushing all of it! ❤️
Sarah Ohlson To me it feels like many of us would do well in seeing ourselves no longer strictly as specialists, but bring to our roles some level of understanding ourselves as “generalists”.
Sarah Ohlson Most senior roles (VP+, exec leadership) require this kind of cross-functional fluency. The people who get there aren't the ones who stayed in their lane longest—they're the ones who built enough range that they can credibly lead strategy, operations, and execution simultaneously.
this is a nice play on that term Sarah... cool to see everything going on behind the scenes!
Crushing it! As always.. Love to see Sarah
Sarah Ohlson Cymbals Clashing !!!!! I’ve noticed the same shift — especially in seasons where growth doesn’t look clean or linear. Early in my career, I thought progression meant narrowing in… specializing… staying in a defined lane. But the reality I’m seeing now is that impact often happens in the overlap. Sales, operations, relationship building, strategy, execution — they aren’t separate boxes. They’re layers. The ability to flex across them isn’t a distraction from growth. It is growth. In my world, I’ve seen that when you understand the customer, the systems, and the mission behind it all — you make stronger decisions. You stop operating transactionally and start building infrastructure. That “full stack” mindset feels less like wearing too many hats and more like building endurance. You may start slower while you’re learning new domains, but over time your capacity increases. You can cover more ground. Adaptability is becoming a leadership trait, not just a survival skill. Appreciate you sharing this — it’s a reminder that sometimes the broader goal matters more than fitting neatly into a title. ⛰️ Keep building
Sarah Ohlson, The real shift isn’t “full stack” roles, it’s collapsing the distance between creator insight and product execution. That’s where speed compounds
This tool sounds interesting Sarah can't wait to see what you guys are building.
Crushing it!!
Dutcher Media•4K followers
1moSarah, I love your full-stack framing. My brain keeps coming back to how functional lines are blurring. As tools evolve to handle more, the real work is in building the cultural and community infrastructure foundation. I recently shifted from a VP role to founding my own firm, and I’m living in full-stack mode to build that foundation. I'm excited to learn more about the new creator management tool (and anxiously awaiting it's release). 🙃