By Teresa Torres · producttalk.org · @ttorres on X · LinkedIn
Teresa Torres and Hope Gurion argue that when shifting to a product operating model, companies should start with a small set of pilot teams rather than training everyone at once, which tends to produce chaos and resistance. They recommend roughly two to four pilot teams (fewer for small organizations, more for very large ones) so that patterns can be spotted without overwhelming the coaches supporting them. The authors then offer five criteria for choosing pilots: relationships among members, willingness to learn, existing skills, access to customers, and the product's lifecycle stage. The goal is to create a bright spot that proves the new way of working can succeed, so teams that are struggling or in maintenance mode are poor choices.
01Key takeaways
- Start the transformation with two to four pilot teams instead of training the whole organization at once.
- Choose teams whose members already have working relationships and mutual respect.
- Look for a growth mindset; if people don't show up to information sessions, reconsider them as pilots.
- Staff pilots with capable people in their core roles so they focus on learning the new way of working.
- Pick product areas in explore or invest stages; avoid sustain, sunset, and re-platforming efforts for early pilots.
- Remove institutional barriers to customer access before launching a pilot team.
02Key sections
- Why start with pilot teams
- Training every team simultaneously creates chaos and resistance because people are not ready. A smaller pilot group lets the organization surface challenges in a constrained setting and learn as it goes.
- How many pilots to choose
- Two to four pilot teams is a manageable sweet spot, scaled to organization size. Too few gives too narrow a learning base; too many overwhelms the coaching capacity needed to support them.
- Relationships and willingness to learn
- Good pilots have existing working relationships with mutual respect and a growth mindset. Low attendance at information sessions can signal low interest, and volunteers are a useful signal of willingness.
- Skills, customer access, and lifecycle stage
- Teams should have capable people in their core roles without too many new skills to learn at once. They need access to customers, with institutional barriers removed, and should work on products in explore or invest stages rather than sustain, sunset, or re-platforming.
- Choosing bright spots
- Pilots should be mature, well-functioning teams likely to succeed, not teams on performance plans or needing the most coaching. The aim is a visible bright spot that demonstrates the model works.
03From the post
“Is your company shifting to the product operating model? Are you trying to figure out where to start? If so, this series on organizational change is for you. Hope Gurion and I are reflecting on our experiences as coaches who have worked with hundreds of teams, sharing what we’ve”
04Frameworks mentioned
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.