---
tags: [management]
date: 2024-11-01T00:18
title: "Product team models - project based, feature factory and product operating model"
---

Listened to the podcast
https://www.tpg.ee/p/product-team-models-project-based

Was interesting to listen and reflect how organizations tend to have indeed different structures. I suppose the project-based is a tendency in small and outsourcing companies, while more mature product-orinented companies go with feature-factories. I don't think I've seen a good implementation of the described product operating model myself. It seems hard to do such a company-wise mindset shift because people are narrow-focused on their role and thinking outside the box requires jumping through multiple layers. Even if companies are matrix-shaped and have vertical teams, they are not representing all layers. For example sales, marketing, support and infrastructure likely won't be part of the the team. 

So I do wonder how does [](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAAY2INMBWEFb2DGIN_C90g7kFrUNleyMCAE)[Aive Uus](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aive-uus/) break those mindsets 😄 Hopefully we'll see more of this  
  
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And for books I suppose these are the recommended ones
- Marty Cagan [https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Inspired-Create-Tech-Products-Customers/dp/1119387507/](https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Inspired-Create-Tech-Products-Customers/dp/1119387507/)  
- David Pereira [https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Untrapping-Product-Teams-Simplify-Complexity/dp/0135335388/](https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Untrapping-Product-Teams-Simplify-Complexity/dp/0135335388/)  
- Teresa Torres [https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Continuous-Discovery-Habits-Discover-Products/dp/1736633309/](https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Continuous-Discovery-Habits-Discover-Products/dp/1736633309/)


## My list-structured notes

- kothinker - https://kothinker.com/
	- mastermind groups
	- after 3 meetings nothing to talk about
	- structure building
	- no juniors - only experienced people
	- balance of experienced people
	- gamification elements
	- on-job experiments
	- building a team
	- connecting people
- building tech org
- kood jõhvi
	- raising skills
	- becoming developers
	- startup leadership without tech cofounders
		- 2+1 program
		- leaders building code
		- keeping sense of reality
		- walk in shoes of end user or employee
		- understanding why it takes time
- issues
	- tech too slow
	- engineers not aware of whats getting built
	- strategy
	- awareness of specific approach
		- companies following trends
- project based approach
	- commitees, approval, development
	- ex. 3 projects for a year
	- takes away ownership
	- issue - engineers not responsible for end product
	- issue - not clear what happens after release
		- follow-up activies needed
		- new project already started
		- confusion, blaming, mix of projects
	- good for organizations if domain is known very well
- feature-factory
	- different stakeholders
	- different expectations
	- backlog of different issues
	- better ownership
	- issue - confusion of aligning with stakeholders
		- beneficial for business
		- prioritization is not aligned (missing framework)
		- loudest noise gets his features done
	- prioriziation = goal is not clear - impact on what engagement, revenue
		- lacking strategy
	- natural to people with tasks, because its pleasing other people
	- company is typically split into business and separate engineering
- product operating model
	- needs good strategy
	- difference is about specific result (of product release)
	- how are you different from competitors
	- what you don't do
	- understanding focus
	- don't start from ideas, start from goals
		- deal only with things that lead to specific goal
		- finding opportunities (unmet customer needs)
			- feasible
			- desireable
			- knowing risks and restrictions
	- no need for planning for future ideas, short backlogs
	- producing least 
	- hard to implement
		- difficult for people mindset
			- people are used to tasks
	- company structure - business is not split from engineering
	- NPS strategy
	- hard to work with people
- restrictions
	- regulations
	- release time plan
- public sector
	- high rules on partners, procurement, legal limits
	- more waste
- build in-house tech team
- outsorcing & concise
	- division, especially if different leadership styles
	- not a fan of
	- useful if growing fast is needed
	- new knowlege
	- volatile workload
- product vs project manager
	- no need in product owner with product operating model
	- product owner
		- combinding tech and business stakeholders
- team building
	- collaboration between roles
	- mindset needs to be changed
		- business people need to explain more of the problems, not solutions
	- collaboration - different perspectives from teams need to be involved for solution to be done

+ recommended books
	- Marty Cagan https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Inspired-Create-Tech-Products-Customers/dp/1119387507/
	- David Pereira https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Untrapping-Product-Teams-Simplify-Complexity/dp/0135335388/
	- Teresa Torres https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Continuous-Discovery-Habits-Discover-Products/dp/1736633309/