By Marty Cagan · svpg.com · LinkedIn
Marty Cagan argues that established companies with long-standing non-digital value, such as banks, insurers, retailers and media firms, often split product management into a 'Legacy PM' group that owns the core product and a 'Digital PM' group that owns apps, web and e-commerce. This separation produces fragmented customer experiences and blocks innovation that combines both kinds of value, such as a pay-per-mile auto insurance product. Cagan notes that some specialization is necessary, but says companies should deliberately build a holistic product view. He recommends deepening Digital PMs' understanding of the core business, embedding Legacy PMs in cross-functional teams, and applying discovery practices to reduce value, usability and feasibility risk. The piece matters because customers do not separate legacy from digital, so the organizations that blend them will win.
01Key takeaways
- Give digital product managers a deep understanding of the core business and the value legacy teams create.
- Embed legacy product managers in cross-functional teams so they contribute directly to discovery.
- Treat product discovery as risk reduction across value, usability and feasibility, regardless of channel.
- Design products around the holistic customer experience rather than separate legacy and digital silos.
- Accept necessary skill specialization but build shared understanding across the product organization.
02Key sections
- The problem of fragmented omni-channel experiences
- Examples like delayed flight notifications, confusing bank support lines and inconsistent retail experiences show companies failing to unify the customer journey across channels.
- Legacy PM versus Digital PM
- Companies with pre-internet core value often divide product work into legacy product owners and digital experience owners, who frequently understand little of each other's work.
- Why the split hurts innovation
- Products that blend legacy value with digital value, like pay-per-mile insurance, are hard to discover when the two groups are siloed.
- Ways to bridge the divide
- Cagan suggests giving Digital PMs deep business knowledge, embedding Legacy PMs in cross-functional teams, and using discovery to reduce risk.
03From the post
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Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.