Creating and Forming Product Teams: Mission-Driven vs. Feature-Driven Teams

In this section, we will focus on the creation and formation of product teams. Drawing from Marty Cagan's concept of "missionary vs. mercenary teams," we’ll explore how to create teams that are deeply engaged, motivated, and purpose-driven, rather than simply feature-focused.

Mission-Driven vs. Feature-Driven Teams

Marty Cagan once said: "Missionary teams are engaged, motivated, have a deep understanding of the business context, and a tangible empathy for the customer. Mercenary teams have no real sense of power or responsibility, no passion for the problem to be solved, and little real connection to actual users and customers."

In other words, missionary teams thrive because they understand the mission and purpose behind their work, which makes them see the impact of what they do on the product and society. On the other hand, mercenary teams lack purpose because they are often assigned to changing backlogs without seeing the long-term mission. For teams to be motivated, they need to understand the bigger picture—their mission.

A mission-driven team focuses not on a specific feature but rather on delivering user value. Take, for example, a team responsible for "Cash In" functionality in a fintech product. Instead of naming it the "Cash In Team," you could give the team a mission, such as "to help users access the best financial options available for income at every moment." By framing it as a mission, the team’s goal becomes broader and more purpose-oriented, moving away from simply implementing a feature to actually solving problems for the user.

Similarly, a "Cash Out" team could be defined as a "team that helps users make spending decisions intelligently, reflecting both their short-term and long-term priorities." The team’s mission goes beyond enabling transactions; it helps guide users toward better financial decisions.

Enabling Teams, Platform Teams, and Defining Missions

Even teams not directly delivering value to the user, such as Enabling Teams or Platform Teams, benefit from having a well-defined mission. An Enabling Team might be focused on "helping other teams overcome technical obstacles and accelerate delivery." A Platform Team could have a mission to "ensure a fluid, consistent experience across the product, preserving user trust and credibility."

The value of these missions lies in their ability to provide a consistent purpose over time. Rather than being focused on a feature that might evolve or disappear next quarter, the team remains anchored to a mission that continues to be meaningful to users.

Tools for Creating Mission-Driven Teams

To help define missions for each team, a useful tool is the Team Canvas. A Team Canvas can be used to outline the objectives, purpose, roles, and skills of each team, ensuring everyone is aligned. For instance, after a product team understands its mission, they can fill out a Team Canvas to define what they need to achieve, their roles, and their values. This helps keep teams mission-oriented and focused on delivering meaningful value.

Team Size and Composition

Determining the size and composition of teams is another crucial aspect of creating effective product teams. Teams typically require a balanced mix of skills, which means they should be cross-functional. It's important to include members from various disciplines, such as engineering, product management, and design, in a balanced manner.

• A team with too many engineers and only one Product Manager (PM) and Designer may become difficult to align, as the PM and Designer struggle to keep up with the pace of the engineering team.
• Smaller teams, with 4-6 engineers, are often ideal. They allow for a good balance between productivity and coordination without overwhelming any one role.
• Single-person teams (e.g., one engineer) generally don't work well in the long term due to issues like lack of code reviews, difficulty managing workloads if the person is unavailable, and limited collaboration. Teams should aim for at least two engineers to ensure redundancy and continuity.

Teams that try to manage too many separate backlogs or initiatives simultaneously can end up feeling disjointed and ineffective. Ideally, each team should work on one cohesive mission to maximize convergence of effort and ensure alignment.

Roles Within Teams

Each team should also consider having someone responsible for each of the four key product risks:

1. Value: Ensuring what is being built delivers value to the user. Usually, this is the responsibility of the Product Manager.
2. Usability: Making sure users can easily interact with the product. The Designer often plays a key role here.
3. Feasibility: Ensuring what is being designed is technically feasible. Engineers are responsible for this.
4. Viability: Making sure the product makes sense from a business perspective, considering factors like financial, legal, and operational feasibility.

The Product Manager often bridges the gap for viability, connecting with stakeholders across departments like Finance, Sales, Customer Support, and Legal to gather input and ensure the product will succeed in the market.

Balancing Discipline and Specialization

Product teams benefit from having the necessary disciplines embedded within the team to fulfill the mission. Sometimes, specialized roles like Data Analysts, Customer Success Managers, or Product Marketing Managers are brought into a squad to ensure the product reflects user needs holistically. Other times, these roles support multiple squads as facilitators, ensuring efficient communication and coordination.

It's important to consider how Conway's Law—which states that product designs mirror the communication structures of the teams that create them—impacts the final user experience. Including specialized roles directly in a mission-focused team can lead to a more cohesive and well-rounded solution for the user.

Conclusion

Creating effective product teams requires focusing on missions rather than just features. By giving teams clear missions, you empower them to make broader decisions that benefit users and drive the company’s strategy forward. Balancing team composition, aligning team members around their mission, and ensuring each role addresses key product risks are all vital elements to create teams that deliver impactful value.

The next step in this discussion will be exploring some real-world examples of team topologies. Stay tuned!