The Best vs. The Rest

Marty Cagan argues there is a wide gap between how the best product companies work and how the majority of companies work, and that many people don't realize how different the two worlds are. He notes that practitioners at feature-team companies often view empowered product teams as utopian, while those in strong product companies find feature-team organizations hard to imagine. This mutual lack of visibility, he suggests, explains much of the confusion about product's role and why most digital transformations stall. He then addresses experienced product leaders who are offered individual contributor roles at strong companies, explaining that these companies want to verify that the candidate understands empowered team practices, since hiring an unqualified leader is costly. He encourages those who take this bet, noting many were rewarded with fast promotions.

01Key takeaways

• Recognize that many product organizations operate as feature teams, and that empowered product teams are the minority worth aiming for.
• When evaluating a new employer, look for evidence of empowered product practices rather than just product titles.
• Expect that strong companies may verify leadership skill through an individual contributor role before granting leadership scope.
• Understand that a title reflects experience, but companies judge the quality of that experience by how it matches their own practices.
• Be willing to accept a short-term step back if it gives you a path to learn and prove strong empowered-team practice.

02Key sections

The gap between the best and the rest

Cagan describes years of observing differences in tools, processes, roles and management between product organizations, which were later captured in his product-teams-versus-feature-teams framing. He points out that people now recognize the difference but often misjudge the other side.

Mutual disbelief across company types

Staff at feature-team companies dismiss empowered teams as unrealistic, while staff at strong companies doubt that feature-team companies even exist in large numbers. This lack of visibility fuels noise and explains why digital transformations often fail.

Choosing where to work

Many readers want to join empowered-team companies, prompting Cagan's guidance on evaluating potential employers. He refers readers to a companion article for these questions.

Experienced leaders taking individual contributor roles

Strong companies may offer senior product leaders an individual contributor role because they need to confirm the candidate understands empowered team practices. Hiring a leader who doesn't know what good looks like is a costly mistake that spreads bad practices.

Taking the bet on yourself

Cagan acknowledges the pay cut and demotion feel, but notes that candidates who accept and prove themselves are often promoted quickly and well rewarded.

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.