Team Performance Series
How to Build a Great Product Team
Great product teams begin with strong foundations consisting of the right 'structure' and 'culture'.
Great product teams begin with strong foundations consisting of the right 'structure' and 'culture'.
Behind every successful product or service is a customer-centric and talented team of people who work together to ensure that the best possible result is delivered.
There is no set recipe for constructing a top-performing team, but some tips can make all the difference. Here are ways to start building your team.
Set concrete goals for what the final product should accomplish while staying customer-centric
Hire the right mindsets, diversify your team, be communicative and transparent
Empower product teams to seek their own solutions while maintaining accountability for individual and collective success
All great product teams require well-defined roles and a strong foundation. It all starts with a well-articulated product vision, culture and strategy that is understood by every member of the team — setting goals for what the final product should accomplish while staying customer-centric at all times.
Things to consider when establishing a strong foundation for your team:
From there, it becomes easy to determine the structure of your team as well as how many people are needed to make this work come together beautifully.
Choosing an effective team structure is key since it helps the organisation allocate roles and responsibilities efficiently. There are three main types of product team structures:
It’s important to note that this may need to be reconsidered again during periods of growth. Health Transformation Product Lead Vid Tekriwal mentioned that Horizon 3’s structure evolved into one which has employees who are more specialised in their “Squads”, in place of what used to be a Multi-Product Management approach when they first started out.
When hiring new employees, it can be tempting to focus solely on formal qualifications and skill sets. However, leaders should also look for equally vital characteristics, especially in a customer-centric role - such as the right mindset.
The Head of Accounts at Warung Pintar, Johan Permadi values open-minded people who have the proper attitude to learn from their mistakes and are eager to make a change. Similarly, Co-founder and CPO Allison Page of SevenRooms said that individuals who prize first-principles thinking are preferred - "our most successful product team members have always been obsessed with uncovering the root problem”.
When organisations realise the importance of being inclusive of all cultures and backgrounds, they are able to see how important it is to cultivate a diverse workforce.
This diversity has helped Canva develop innovative products that cater to all people’s needs, which has been essential to their success; emphasised Rachel Carruthers, Head of Internationalisation & Localisation.
A diverse team has a few advantanges:
As a product team grows to more diverse contributors, it takes some work to ensure that everyone is set up to be an effective contributor. This hinges on how transparent and communicative the entire organisation is.
When organisations communicate well internally, they benefit in these ways:
To create a culture of transparency and clear communication from day one, an effective onboarding process should establish the guidelines which all team members follow and align with the overall company goals.
Michelle Fernandez, Head of Digital Experience at GCash also believes it is important for everyone on every level - no matter what their status - to have regular check-ins because this will help keep this culture well-aligned.
Individuals who enter product management often think independently and are able to solve problems creatively. Hence, the most important aspect of a great team is empowerment. Truly successful teams are empowered to seek out their own solutions for achieving goals while still maintaining accountability and succeeding both individually and collectively.
For example, Bernard Fung, Head of Sales at LoopMe inspires empowerment by advising his team “to act as if they own the business” — which naturally enables them with an increased sense of autonomy.
Beyond this, Carruthers teaches individuals she coaches or mentors — even though this may sound difficult during earlier stages — by giving them space to grow and develop over time, while still supporting them every step of the way. This leads to better relationships with her team – all ultimately culminating in rapid overall growth for the organisation.
We asked five NewCampus Contributors to weigh in with their tips on coaching their product leads to uphold excellent user experiences across their teams.
Set concrete goals for what the final product should accomplish while staying customer-centric
Hire the right mindsets, diversify your team, be communicative and transparent
Empower product teams to seek their own solutions while maintaining accountability for individual and collective success
Building a product team may seem daunting, but it isn't impossible. Leaders need to build a clear foundation by articulating a product vision and strategy.
From there, it becomes essential to create an empowering culture that promotes diversity and reinforces communication. This pivotal point of building your team is crucial because it determines the future course; paving the way for success during hyper-growth phases.
For hypergrowth companies seeking to scale their products and their people, NewCampus offers management training through our Management Essentials 4-Week Sprint.
Hear what some of our previous learners had to say:
We'd love to chat about how we can help scale your teams and grow your business.