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The Product Trio: Why Product Management, Engineering, and Design Disciplines Must Overlap for Success
For those of us in product management, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that engineering, design, and product management are distinct lanes—each with its own space and boundaries. We often view these disciplines as separate entities, each responsible for its own part of the product development process. But here’s the truth: to build truly great products, these lanes need to overlap.
When product management, engineering, and design operate in silos, the result is often a product that misses the mark. Misalignment between these critical disciplines can lead to inefficiencies, miscommunication, and ultimately, a product that doesn’t meet user needs or business objectives. So, how do we overcome these challenges? By breaking down the walls that separate these teams and fostering an environment of collaboration and trust.
Let’s break it down:
1️⃣ You Don’t Have to Be the Best Coder or Designer
As a product manager, your job isn’t to out-code the engineers or out-design the UX experts. But you do need to have enough skin in the game to challenge them with strong opinions. Why? Because a great product manager asks the tough questions, pushes the boundaries, and sets the bar higher than anyone else in the room. This doesn’t mean you need to be a technical expert or a design guru, but you do need to be deeply engaged in these areas to guide your team effectively.
When you’re actively involved in the technical and design discussions, you can help your team see the bigger picture—how their work fits into the overall product vision and how it aligns with business goals. This involvement allows you to challenge assumptions and ensure that the final deliverable meets the highest standards of quality and user satisfaction.
2️⃣ It’s About Building Trust and Supporting Each Other
Great products don’t come from isolated efforts; they come from teams that trust each other and work together seamlessly. It’s crucial to foster an environment where ideas are shared openly, where constructive criticism is welcomed, and where every team member feels valued. Your interest in each discipline—whether it’s code, design, or business logic—should be genuine and collaborative.
When product managers, engineers, and designers collaborate closely, they create a shared vision for the product. This shared vision ensures that everyone is aligned and working towards the same goals. Trust is the foundation of this collaboration. When team members trust each other, they’re more willing to share ideas, take risks, and support each other’s work. This trust leads to better decision-making, faster problem-solving, and ultimately, a better product.
3️⃣ Pay Attention to the Final Deliverable
Never lose sight of the final deliverable. As a product manager, your ultimate responsibility is to maximize the value of the product for both the user and the business. It’s not just about getting a product out the door—it’s about ensuring that the product meets the highest standards of quality and delivers on its promises.
This requires you to be deeply involved in every aspect of the product development process. You need to understand the technical constraints, the design principles, and the business objectives. You need to ensure that all these elements come together in a cohesive and well-executed product. This is where you set the standard as a product manager. You are the gatekeeper of quality, and that means holding yourself and your team to the highest standards.
The Challenges of Working in Siloes
When product management, engineering, and design operate independently, several issues can arise:
- Lack of Shared Vision: Without collaboration, teams may develop conflicting priorities, leading to a fragmented product that fails to align with the overall strategy.
- Communication Breakdowns: Isolated teams often struggle with communication, resulting in delays, misunderstandings, and misaligned goals.
- Suboptimal Product Outcomes: The lack of collaboration increases the risk of developing features that are not technically feasible or that fail to resonate with users, ultimately impacting product quality.
The Benefits of Collaboration
Breaking down silos and fostering collaboration between these disciplines can transform the product development process:
- Improved Idea Generation: Collaboration brings together diverse perspectives, leading to richer ideas and better problem-solving.
- Enhanced Alignment: Shared goals across teams ensure that everyone is working towards the same objectives, reducing the risk of misalignment.
- Efficient Processes: Integrated workflows enable teams to work in parallel, reducing time to market and improving efficiency.
- Cross-Functional Leadership: A leadership team that includes members from product management, engineering, and design can help resolve conflicts, set clear expectations, and support effective collaboration.
While these benefits are clear, unfortunately many organizations put their teams into very siloes in an attempt to streamline business efficiency.
Agile Done Wrong: How Top-Down Implementation Can Reinforce Siloes
In the pursuit of greater efficiency and scalability, many organizations turn to frameworks like SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) to manage their product development processes. While these frameworks are designed to bring structure and alignment to large, complex organizations, they can sometimes have the unintended consequence of reinforcing the very siloes they are meant to break down.
The Promise and Perils of Scaled Agile
SAFe and similar frameworks offer a roadmap for scaling agile practices across large enterprises. The promise of these frameworks is enticing: alignment across teams, improved transparency, and faster delivery of products. At their core, these frameworks aim to bring consistency and cohesion to the product development process, ensuring that all teams are aligned with the organization’s strategic goals.
However, the way these frameworks are implemented can often lead to challenges:
Top-Down Implementation:
When frameworks like SAFe are applied in a top-down manner, they can impose rigid structures that stifle the agility they are meant to promote. Instead of fostering cross-functional collaboration, these frameworks can inadvertently create new layers of bureaucracy, where decision-making becomes centralized and teams are pushed into operating within predefined siloes. This top-down approach can lead to a “checklist” mentality, where teams focus more on following the framework’s processes than on delivering value to the user.Increased Complexity:
One of the ironies of scaling agile is that, in trying to simplify and streamline processes, organizations can introduce additional layers of complexity. SAFe, for example, adds roles, artifacts, and ceremonies that may not be necessary for every team or project. This added complexity can overwhelm teams, making it harder for them to collaborate effectively. Instead of fostering a collaborative, agile environment, the focus shifts to managing the framework itself, which can pull teams back into their siloes.Reinforcement of Siloes:
In an attempt to scale, organizations may inadvertently create new siloes between teams and functions. For example, specialized roles such as Release Train Engineers or Solution Architects might end up becoming gatekeepers, reinforcing boundaries between teams rather than facilitating collaboration. This can lead to a situation where product management, engineering, and design are once again isolated from one another, despite being part of the same scaled agile initiative.
The Need for Flexibility and Adaptation
To truly benefit from frameworks like SAFe, organizations need to approach them with flexibility and a focus on their underlying principles rather than rigid adherence to every detail. Here’s how organizations can avoid the pitfalls of framework overload:
Customize the Framework:
Rather than applying the framework in a one-size-fits-all manner, organizations should adapt it to fit their specific needs. This means understanding the unique challenges and dynamics of each team and adjusting the framework to support collaboration rather than hinder it. For instance, some teams may benefit from less formalized structures and more autonomy, while others might need more guidance.Emphasize Principles Over Processes:
The core principles of agile—collaboration, customer focus, iterative development, and continuous improvement—should be the guiding force behind any framework implementation. Organizations should prioritize these principles over rigid process adherence, allowing teams to adapt their practices as needed to meet their goals. This approach helps maintain the agility and cross-functional collaboration that are essential for successful product development.Encourage Bottom-Up Feedback:
Organizations should create channels for bottom-up feedback, where teams can voice concerns and suggest improvements to the framework. This feedback loop ensures that the framework evolves in response to real-world challenges and remains a tool for empowerment rather than a source of frustration. Encouraging teams to take ownership of their processes fosters a sense of autonomy and accountability, which are critical for maintaining agility.Break Down New Silos:
Just as with any organizational structure, new siloes can form within scaled agile frameworks. It’s important to actively monitor and address these siloes as they arise. Regular cross-functional meetings, collaborative planning sessions, and team-building activities can help break down these barriers and keep teams aligned with the overarching product vision.
Embracing the Product Trio: A Collaborative Alternative to Top-Down Approaches
Turning back to the initial thoughts: product management, design, and engineering should work hand-in-hand, not in siloes. An alternative approach to top-down frameworks that hinder these ambitions is gaining traction—the Product Trio. This concept, which brings together product management, engineering, and design in a tightly-knit, collaborative unit, offers a more flexible and effective way to drive product development compared to traditional top-down frameworks like SAFe.
What is the Product Trio?
The Product Trio is a cross-functional team made up of three key roles: the product manager, the lead engineer, and the lead designer. Rather than operating within rigid, hierarchical structures, this trio works closely together throughout the entire product development process. The core idea behind the Product Trio is that these three disciplines—product management, engineering, and design—should not just collaborate occasionally but should be in constant communication, co-owning the product vision and decision-making.
How the Product Trio Differs from Top-Down Approaches
Decentralized Decision-Making:
In contrast to top-down approaches where decisions are often made at higher levels and trickle down to teams, the Product Trio operates with a decentralized decision-making model. The trio has the autonomy to make key decisions about the product’s direction, balancing business goals, technical feasibility, and user experience. This autonomy empowers the team to move quickly, iterate on ideas, and respond to user feedback in real-time.Continuous Collaboration:
The Product Trio model emphasizes continuous, real-time collaboration between the product manager, engineer, and designer. Instead of working in isolated phases—where product management hands off requirements to engineering, which then hands off the build to design—these three roles work together from the outset. They engage in regular discussions, brainstorming sessions, and problem-solving, ensuring that all perspectives are integrated into every decision. This constant collaboration reduces the risk of misalignment and enhances the quality of the product.Flexibility and Adaptability:
Unlike rigid frameworks that require strict adherence to predefined processes, the Product Trio approach is inherently flexible. The trio can adapt their workflows based on the needs of the project, the complexity of the problem, and the feedback from users. This flexibility allows the team to pivot quickly when necessary, experiment with new ideas, and focus on delivering value rather than just following a process.Focus on Shared Outcomes:
The success of the Product Trio hinges on a shared commitment to the product’s outcomes. The trio aligns on a common vision and works collaboratively to achieve it, blending their expertise to create a product that not only meets business objectives but also delights users. This shared ownership fosters a strong sense of accountability and ensures that all team members are working towards the same goals.
The Benefits of the Product Trio
Improved Alignment:
By working together as a unit, the Product Trio ensures that all disciplines are aligned on the product’s vision, goals, and execution strategy. This alignment reduces the risk of conflicting priorities and ensures that the product is coherent and cohesive.Enhanced Innovation:
The diverse perspectives within the Product Trio encourage innovative thinking. When product managers, engineers, and designers collaborate closely, they can challenge each other’s ideas, explore new possibilities, and develop creative solutions to complex problems.Faster Iteration Cycles:
The Product Trio’s close collaboration enables faster iteration cycles. With all key decision-makers in the room, the team can quickly evaluate ideas, make decisions, and move forward, reducing the time it takes to bring new features to market.Greater User Focus:
The Product Trio’s integration of design, engineering, and product management ensures that user needs are consistently prioritized. This user-centric approach leads to products that are not only functional and technically sound but also intuitive and enjoyable to use.
Managing Core Risks: Feasibility, Desirability, and Viability with the Product Trio
A key benefit of the Product Trio model is its ability to manage the three essential risks in product development: feasibility, desirability, and viability. By integrating product management, engineering, and design from the start, the trio ensures these risks are addressed effectively.
1. Feasibility: Can We Build It?
Feasibility examines whether the product can be built within technical and resource constraints. The engineering lead plays a crucial role here, identifying potential challenges early and ensuring that technical realities are considered throughout the process. This ongoing involvement minimizes costly delays and rework.
2. Desirability: Do Users Want It?
Desirability focuses on user needs and experience. The design lead ensures that the product resonates with users by continuously validating ideas through research and feedback. This close collaboration helps create a product that not only works well but also engages its audience.
3. Viability: Should We Build It?
Viability assesses the product’s business potential. The product manager ensures that the product aligns with business goals and generates value. By keeping viability in focus, the trio balances user needs and technical feasibility with strategic business objectives.
Implementing the Product Trio in Your Organization
Transitioning to a Product Trio model requires a cultural shift towards greater collaboration and trust. Here are some steps to consider:
Empower the Trio: Give the Product Trio the autonomy to make decisions about the product’s direction, without the need for excessive oversight or approval from higher-ups. Trust the team to use their collective expertise to drive the product forward.
Promote Continuous Communication: Encourage regular meetings and informal check-ins among the Product Trio to ensure that all members are aligned and any issues are addressed promptly. This ongoing dialogue is crucial for maintaining alignment and momentum.
Support Cross-Functional Training: While each member of the Product Trio brings their own expertise, cross-functional training can help them better understand each other’s challenges and perspectives. This deeper understanding enhances collaboration and decision-making.
Measure Success Holistically: Evaluate the success of the Product Trio based on the overall success of the product, rather than on individual contributions. This reinforces the importance of working together towards shared outcomes.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, your job as a product manager is to maximize the value of the deliverable. This requires overlapping your lane with others, challenging the status quo, and ensuring that trust and support flow through every part of the process.
To achieve optimal product development outcomes, organizations must prioritize breaking down silos between product management, engineering, and design. This can be accomplished through structured collaboration, shared goals, and integrated processes, ultimately leading to better products and a more cohesive team environment.
The Product Trio offers a compelling alternative to top-down frameworks like SAFe by fostering a more collaborative, flexible, and user-focused approach to product development. By empowering product managers, engineers, and designers to work together as a unified team, organizations can break down siloes, enhance innovation, and deliver better products faster.
By embracing collaboration and trust, we can break free from the inefficiencies of working in silos and build products that truly meet the needs of users and drive business success. Remember, it’s not about merging disciplines, but about ensuring that each discipline has a voice, shares the same vision, and works together to create products that truly make a difference.