Destination or the Journey
When it comes to finding a role at a company, we focus on things like salary, benefits and culture. We get clarity on the role expectations and the products of the business. Everything looks great and we join only to discover that after some time things have changed. The role has morphed, the culture has shifted and the products have evolved. Everything was so clear at the beginning and now we are faced to adapt or move on. What happened?
One size fits all?
When it comes to managing the dynamics of a product organization or excelling in your given role, blanket statements on how you should operate, be structured and valued are meaningless. In fact blindly following or pushing for these models or processes could hurt the business and/or your career. Context is key to driving proper alignment and strategy implementation.
Businesses are no more static as you and I are. They grow and evolve just like anything else. However how they grow is some what predictable.
In order to create this context, I developed a framework that describes the journey of a product organization at a SaaS company. Through this model, we can align strategies, career advice and provide insight into the challenges faced by each stage. You will be able to see what lies ahead, identify strengths you may have developed and have insight into driving success. My hope is that you will be better informed and equipped to handle the opportunities ahead or at least drive some engaging conversation.
Every business is on a journey and the reality that a SaaS business will remain the same for extended periods of time is incorrect. Just as you have matured and grown over the years, the business is doing the same thing. All of you are growing and advancing each and every day. You learn more, scale in size, scale in complexity and ultimately evolve as a group. This growth forces roles changes, organizational structures and strategies you should pursue.
In future blog posts, we will dive into each cycle and explore what it means to be a member, skills required for success and challenges you will face with strategies to overcome them with grace.