INSPIRED

Product Team Culture

If you are a growing technology company leader who finds that your products lack innovation, check on the culture surrounding your product teams. Many start-ups are good at quickly delivering sustained, innovative products. But as companies grow, this ability can deteriorate. Leaders often attribute this lapse in innovation to the quality of their employees, the firm’s processes or communication among increasingly diverse moving parts. But the way to prevent innovation from faltering is to hone your culture. Strong product teams reflect a corporate culture in which they can innovate and execute superior consumer technology products. 

Product teams should consist of “missionaries” with a shared vision, not “mercenaries” who work only for pay. Corporate executives need to embrace this new culture and forgo quarterly product road maps. Hire a CEO who contributes intellect and talent and who never advocates cookie-cutter processes in the face of flagging product success. This culture of strong product teams distinguishes Google, Facebook, ...