Cagan argues that innovation is harder in large companies because growing organizations become risk-averse, but it is still possible and essential. He says corporate culture and one's manager are the biggest factors…
“As a product discovery coach, I get asked a lot of questions. This makes complete sense—as people read my book, take one of my courses, or watch one of my talks, they naturally wonder about applying the concepts of continuous discovery to their own work. They consider the ideas”
Marty Cagan argues that a company building its first in-house design team should not simply recreate the old agency model, where designers received specs and produced screens. Modern product designers work continuously…
Marty Cagan argues that many companies wrongly merge product management with project management, a habit inherited from shipped-software companies like Microsoft. That model breaks down for internet services, where many…
Marty Cagan describes the "feed the beast" problem, where product teams feed a hungry development organization with specs just to keep engineers busy, regardless of whether the products are worth building. He argues…
This tribute essay by Christian Idiodi remembers Jeremiah Ivan, a former VP of Engineering he worked alongside at Merrill and Snagajob, using anecdotes to show what makes an agent of change. Ivan's unconventional…
Marty Cagan introduces a re-recorded audio edition of INSPIRED and reflects on how the book has held up since its 2007 and 2017 editions. He argues its focus on underlying principles rather than current process is why…
The article argues that product and corporate leaders should manage their teams the way professional sports coaches and general managers do: continuously evaluating talent, upgrading skills, and filling critical gaps…
Teresa Torres argues that the belief that product teams must be co-located is outdated, since many successful companies already run fully remote and global teams, and modern digital tools now provide most of the…
Marty Cagan argues that Six Sigma, a quality-control methodology proven in manufacturing, does real damage when applied to software product discovery and development. He observes that once influential innovators such as…
Marty Cagan argues that slow product delivery is usually not caused by weak developers but by organizational and process problems. Drawing on his work with many product teams, he lists the ten most common root causes of…
Marty Cagan argues that organizations must shift from measuring success by shipping output on fixed dates to achieving customer and business outcomes. He frames this as moving from time-to-market to time-to-money and…
Marty Cagan argues that for product companies at scale, he knows of no reliable alternative to strong product leadership. He explains that founders who act as head of product eventually stop scaling, and that the common…
Lenny Rachitsky profiles how Coda's product organization plans, reviews, and builds product, drawing on an interview with CPO Lane Shackleton. The post covers Coda's evolving planning cadence, OKR philosophy, review…
Marty Cagan argues that 'The Innovator's Dilemma' describes a symptom of large-company decline rather than its root cause. Drawing on Ben Horowitz's 'Peacetime CEO/Wartime CEO' framing, he contends that startups are…
Marty Cagan argues that the product model, a way of organizing companies around discovering and delivering valuable solutions, is the key capability for responding to major opportunities and threats. He points to the…
Marty Cagan argues that the common company process of taking executive or stakeholder ideas, building business cases, prioritizing feature roadmaps, and handing requirements down a line from product to design to…
Marty Cagan argues that the project management role, in its many forms, is often poorly performed and sometimes seen as a liability, and that its damaged brand may need a fresh start. He attributes the problems to…
Marty Cagan responds to a CTO's question about whether a strong product designer and technical lead still need a product manager, arguing the PM's contribution is often invisible or poorly done. He frames the discussion…
This essay explores a common feeling among product people: that they are the only one who thinks a certain way inside their company, even though conferences or outside conversations suggest otherwise. The author argues…
This edition of Lenny Rachitsky's newsletter answers two reader questions. First, with input from Jackie Bavaro, it argues that early-career PMs should prioritize shipping wins, learning best practices, building…
Marty Cagan argues that empowered product teams depend not on less leadership but on better leadership, and that moving to empowerment is far harder for product leaders than most expect. He splits the role into…
Shreyas Doshi argues that many behaviors large companies encourage, such as answering support tickets, talking to many customers, and responding instantly to email and Slack, are designed to keep average performers…
Teresa Torres and Petra Wille discuss the gap many product teams feel between modern, outcome-driven practices like continuous discovery and experimentation and the realities of organizations that do not support them…