By Marty Cagan · svpg.com · LinkedIn
Marty Cagan examines the adage that product managers get blamed for failure but rarely credited for success, and asks whether that is fair. He explains that on empowered product teams the product manager owns value and viability, while designers own usability and engineers own feasibility. He argues that accountability for value is a real, demanding responsibility that leadership depends on, and that PMs who refuse it push the role back toward a feature team. He closes by noting that viability spans marketing, sales, finance and legal, so PMs cannot disown those risks.
01Key takeaways
- On empowered teams, the PM is accountable for value and viability, not just for shipping features.
- Taking ownership of failures builds the learning and sense of ownership that improve a team.
- Leadership needs a clear accountable owner; if PMs decline the role, someone else will take it and the team becomes a feature team.
- Viability includes go-to-market, funding, and legal compliance, so PMs must address those risks rather than deflect them.
- Demanding as it is, owning value is the core reason the PM role on empowered teams is rewarding.
02Key sections
- The blame-and-credit adage
- Cagan introduces the saying that success belongs to the whole team while failure falls on the product manager. He questions whether that split is fair.
- Dividing responsibilities on empowered teams
- Value and viability sit with the PM, usability with the designer, and feasibility with engineers. The team is accountable together, but the PM carries the overall value risk.
- Why accountability matters to leadership
- Executives who empower teams need a single person to hold accountable for results. If PMs won't take that role, leaders hand it to stakeholders or GMs, turning teams into feature teams.
- Viability beyond the product
- Viability depends on marketing, sales, finance and legal compliance. A PM who blames sales for failing to sell misunderstands the job.
03From the post
“A partnership dedicated to teaching best practices to product teams and product leaders”
04Frameworks mentioned
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.