University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
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Empowered

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products (Silicon Valley Product Group)

Marty Cagan and Chris Jones
Wiley, 2020
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Applicable
  • For Experts

Recommendation

Too often, companies stymie innovation by tasking their product teams with serving business needs, rather than customers’. These companies often don’t view technology and creative thinking as tools for building growth or as central to the company culture. In this helpful guide, product development experts Marty Cagan and Chris Jones explain why leaders should rethink this approach and empower product teams to solve customer problems. The pair offer useful strategies for recruiting top talent, keeping everyone on track with a product strategy and bringing out the best in your product teams.

Summary

Lead with technology to innovate superior products.

What makes companies such as Google, Apple and Netflix leading innovators? The culture they built around technology provides their edge. Unlike companies who view technology merely as a “necessary expense” or as a tool to serve internal business needs, strong product-focused companies regard technology as the future of their businesses.

How a company uses technology often determines its product strategy and leadership. For example, organizations that don’t value technology often task their product teams with creating apps or software to deal with things like the company’s payroll or to determine the most efficient ways to cut budgets. The tools serve the business, not the customers. These companies seldom empower product teams to identify or solve problems on their own. They’re more likely to dictate to their product teams. 

Companies that value technology empower their product teams to generate strategies, hire the people they need and create products that serve consumers. Giving teams a problem to solve rather than a product to build fosters ...

About the Authors

Marty Cagan is the founder of the Silicon Valley Product Group. Chris Jones has over 25 years experience in product development.

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