Summary
The best companies build their most innovative products when they give teams problems to solve, rather than features to build, and allow them to learn, test, and iterate rapidly. Everywhere we see the value in less design up front, speaking directly with users, and leaders getting out of the way. However, how can self-organizing teams be sure that collectively we're headed in the same direction? How can leaders with limited resources ensure our teams are aligned without disempowering them? Enter Growth Boards, a lean governance tool to help you find that happy medium between chaos and command and control.
Key Insights
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Enterprises are shifting from siloed departments to cross-functional product teams.
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Agile and lean practices are becoming essential for traditional enterprises to compete effectively.
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Growth boards serve as a lean governance tool to align teams and leaders towards common objectives.
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The concept of lean governance seeks to find balance between chaos and command and control.
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Effective communication between teams and leadership helps surface valuable insights about product performance.
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Regular growth board meetings can lead to quicker decision-making and better resource allocation.
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Cross-functional teams benefit from direct exposure to financial metrics and user metrics.
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Empowered teams that understand organizational strategy are more likely to deliver successful outcomes.
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Transparency in goals and metrics fosters accountability across teams and leadership.
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Investments in teams should align with strategic areas of opportunity rather than ad-hoc decisions.
Notable Quotes
"Jackie Ho works at VMware Pivotal Labs, helping companies build and ship better software."
"Enterprises are adapting agile and lean practices to keep up with smaller, faster competitors."
"We’re seeing a shift from project to product teams, giving teams problems to solve rather than just requirements."
"Growth boards are a lean governance tool developed by David Kitter and Eric Rees, borrowing from the venture capital mindset."
"Lean governance finds the sweet spot between chaos and command and control in the leanest way possible."
"The growth board meetings are aimed at being very honest about the health of your product."
"This is not just about updates; it’s about whether the investment is worth it based on value delivered."
"Growth boards enable direction changes sooner, allowing us to pivot or persevere efficiently."
"This process ensures teams are not just managing the status quo but are actively engaged in product strategy."
"Growth boards demonstrate you can have agile development at enterprise scale without devolving into chaos."
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