Org Design

The way your company is structured can have a big impact on your product outcomes. Different teams and roles are better suited for certain types of problems. Setting up the right structure, escalation processes, and talent management can help ensure you have the right people and processes to achieve your product goals.

As AI and automation advance, organizations are becoming flatter and more flexible. Instead of relying on rigid job roles, you'll need to develop a broader, more adaptive skill set. Focus on becoming a "full-stack builder" who can take on a wider variety of tasks and collaborate across boundaries. This will help you stay agile and valuable as traditional roles and structures get disrupted.

Resist the temptation to constantly add more people to your team. Instead, aim to keep your team as small as possible while still accomplishing your goals. Smaller teams are more agile, focused, and efficient, allowing you to move faster and make quicker decisions.

As your team and company scale, the dynamics change dramatically. You'll need to adapt your leadership style from being able to directly steer the company like a sports car, to taking on a more coordinating and influence-based role like driving a big rig. Focus on empowering your team, setting clear priorities, and facilitating alignment rather than trying to micromanage every decision.

Empower your product managers with meaningful ownership over their areas. Give them the autonomy and resources to shape their products to fit their unique skills and expertise, rather than forcing them into rigid job descriptions. This will foster a sense of real accountability and investment in the success of the products they manage.