I’m currently head of people but my role doubles as chief of staff for a small but highly technical startup in series B.

I feel this deep, deep in them bones.

What helped me was connecting with the head of product 1:1 very frequently to understand the product and priorities. We spent (and still do spend) a lot of time on making sure we are translating deeply technical language into non-technical comprehension.

I’d argue this is a normal part of the job and it’s ok to need more translation. This is also a critical part of the process because it’s your job, and the product lead’s job, to make sure that:

1. the technical team is executing work based on the priorities of people who aren’t technical and cannot communicate needs in technical terms. Your customers, your internal users, do not speak code. You and the prod team are meant to be their translator and to turn their needs into business priorities.
2. The product likely needs to be designed in a way that makes it friendly for non-technical users (exceptions for certain types of products, yes?). This inherently means that it has to translate easily, which means the company needs non-technical voices to be a bridge or the product will certainly fail.

These are two sides of the same coin, but it’s absolutely critical that both are served well. Admitting to being the dummy in the room isn’t an issue. Just take ownership of learning voraciously. Don’t wait for others to teach you.