Transitioning from a project-based approach to a product-driven mindset can significantly enhance how organizations deliver value and meet customer expectations. Unlike projects, which have a defined end date, products are continuously evolving and require adaptability to meet changing market needs. That ability for products - and thus teams - to quickly respond and adapt, requires an environment which is supportive of change. Many organizations today are restricted in that area, because of their structure and decision making processes. As Erica Engelen, Team Topology Valued Practitioner will say in a future talk at the Project to Product Summit “ Bureaucratic organizations are where products go to die”. Learn more about the event.

In 2019, Gartner predicted that 85% of organizations would have adopted  - or plan to adopt - a product-centric delivery model. By 2024, most digital leaders would benefit from this approach, with nearly 80% of IT organizations undergoing restructuring to embrace it. Clearly, this hasn’t happened. Yes, many organizations have tried it, but according to The 2023 Project to Product report, only 2% of project to product shifts are reaching maturity. This is scarily reminding us of the unchanging percentages of organizations who  keep failing at business and 70% of all digital transformations fail.

Afraid of failing or having trouble with your transformation? We are here to help. Book a call with our experts to breakdown your problem and solution.

Many organizations underestimate the change required to make this shift and treat it as local or fragmented optimization while it actually impacts the entire organization. Understanding your socio-technical system and how each small change impacts and triggers other aspects in your organizaiton to change as well, is crucial. Organizations must create an environment where empowered teams can adapt and innovate. This is where Team Topologies comes in. The shared vocabulary, practices and principles enable your teams to sense when change is needed, share it with each other and optimize instantly. 

How to Achieve a Product-Driven Transformation

Unlike traditional project management, which often emphasises short-term gains and immediate outputs, a product-driven approach focuses on sustained value and adaptability. Products are built for the future and we can’t control that.

As highlighted in Project to Product by Mik Kersten, this shift is essential for achieving faster flow and reducing bottlenecks—a core principle also emphasized in Team Topologies.

If you decide that a product-driven transformation is right for your organization, restructuring your teams and workflows is essential. Here are some practical steps that you could take:

1. Assess Current Structures: Evaluate existing team configurations, boundaries and workflows to identify areas for improvement and alignment with the product-oriented approach.

2. Design Teams Around Value Streams: Organize teams based on the value streams they will serve, ensuring that team structures reflect the product architecture and customer needs. Learn how to do that with the “Organizing for Independent Value Streams Bundle” which includes two video-based, self-based courses “Team Topologies for Managers” & “Independent Value Streams with Domain-Driven Design”.

3. Foster a Culture of Autonomy: Allow teams to make decisions related to their products, encouraging accountability and ownership.

4. Utilize Metrics for Continuous Feedback: Implement flow metrics and feedback loops to monitor team performance and product delivery, enabling data-driven adjustments and improvements.

5. Engage Leadership and Stakeholders: Ensure that executives and stakeholders understand and support the transition, aligning organizational goals with the new product-oriented strategy.

Have questions about transitioning from project to product? Join our Open Forum with Rich Allen and Erica Engelen.

What’s Coming Up Next?

We are constantly on the lookout for events related to Team Topologies and the principles it embodies. Check all of the upcoming ones in our events section and do let us know if you missed any.

• Fast Flow Conf - Everything about Team Topologies 

• Conf42 - Principles of Team Topologies Applied to Platform Engineering

• Expert Leadership Masterclass: Nimble, Humane Organizations with the Authors of Team Topologies

• Project to Product Open Forum

• Principles for Decision-Making and Team-of-Teams Design in Platform Orgs at Platform Engineering Meetup

• Is your Org chart a Roadblock to Tech Delivery

• #DL Summit 2024: Optimizing software team interactions with the Team Topologies approach

• Project to Product Summit

• Team Topologies Fundamentals with Lean Agile Ninja Online in Polish

• Team Topologies Fundamentals with Lean Agile Ninja in Polish, In-person

• Team Topologies Fundamentals with Lean Agile Ninja

Join the Community

As we are getting closer to launching the Team Topologies community we would love to hear your thoughts on potential topics for the working groups. Let us know what you think via this short survey.

Join the Team Topologies Community, a free space launching in autumn 2024, to connect with peers and experts on modern team-of-teams practices like Agile, DevOps, and Platform Engineering. Sign up now to stay updated and be part of this transformative movement.

If you're passionate about Team Topologies and want to become an advocate, we would love to have you join us. Or, if you have a story to share, we would be honored to feature it on the website. 

Was this newsletter useful? Please share your thoughts on how we can make it better. Send us an email.