By Marty Cagan · svpg.com · LinkedIn
Cagan introduces the idea of a 'line' that separates the two fundamental activities of building software products: deciding what to build (left of the line) and building it (right of the line). Left of the line covers opportunity assessment and product discovery, owned primarily by product management working with user experience and a lead engineer. Right of the line covers implementation, testing and deployment, owned by engineering. The line exists whether a team follows conventional or Agile processes, though its nature differs. The distinction matters most for teams moving to Agile who are unsure how product management and design fit into the flow.
01Key takeaways
- Separate the work of deciding what to build from the work of building it, since they are distinct activities.
- Assign product management and UX to discovery on the left side of the line, working with a lead engineer.
- Recognize that the left-of-line discovery work is needed in both conventional and Agile processes.
- If moving to Agile, map out roles and milestones visually to see where product management and design fit.
02Key sections
- The core dividing line
- Software product creation splits into figuring out what to build and then building it, and the line marks that boundary. The concept is credited to a colleague at an e-commerce company.
- Who owns each side
- Product management, with UX and a lead engineer, is responsible for discovery on the left, while engineering owns delivery on the right.
- Conventional versus Agile
- The line exists in both process styles, but the way it is drawn and the activities involved differ between them.
- Using process diagrams
- The author suggests comparing whiteboard process diagrams to clarify how product management and design roles fit, especially during an Agile transition.
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.