🚀 What We Are Seeing in the Market: The Product Model Shift 🚀
I’ve been quiet on LinkedIn for a few weeks because, at Propel, we’ve been busy engaging with executives responsible for engineering team delivery. They’ve echoed a similar message, one that’s worth sharing.
The engineering and product leaders I’ve been speaking with have already been through the agile journey, but they’re now recognising the importance of shifting towards a product model—where teams deliver value to customers faster and more effectively.
The good news for us is that this is something Propel has lived and breathed throughout our history, delivering the right product faster (hence “Propel”). We’ve been building successful products for clients, and we’ve developed both a coaching capability and an engineering delivery capability to help clients deliver the right product faster and transform to the Product Operating Model.
Although some clients seek coaching or engineering assistance separately, we’re seeing a rise in demand for integrated product model coaching and product model engineering to maximise the chances of a successful transformation. This shift impacts not just the engineering function but all functions, including those outside the engineering teams.
👥 What Sets Propel Apart?
We’re not just talking the talk; we’re walking the walk. Propel has been building successful products using the product operating model for almost a decade. It’s this real-world product experience that sets us apart.
We’ve observed the challenges that arise when transformation is promised by those who take a single-threaded approach:
• Coaches: While adept at discussing product models, they often lack the real-life experience or a proven track record of delivering successful products themselves, which undermines their credibility.
• Agile Engineering Consultants: These consultants typically focus on agile delivery, not product model engineering. Although familiar with the latest books on product models, their experience lies in agile engineering, whereas the product model requires significant changes both inside and outside of your engineering team.
• Coaching and Engineering from Large Consultancies: Firms like Deloitte and PwC have impressive partners who have read the latest books and podcasts on the product operating model, but the delivery of their service to your organisation is typically executed by junior associates and they are usually following a cookie-cutter playbook. This approach can lead to an ill-fitting model for your organisation—something we’ve been asked to come in and fix on multiple occasions.
At Propel, we:
• Coach your teams to adopt a product model;
• Engineer and deliver products that showcase how the model works in practice; and
• Guide executives and team members to shift their mindset, aligning people, processes, and technology, both inside and far outside of the engineering teams
Clients turn to us because they understand that to truly transform, they need a partner who can deliver the right product faster—not just coach them through a process, but show them how it’s done by doing it.
Conclusion
💡 If you are considering a Product Operating Model Transformation, watch out for the following:
• Real-world expertise and proven results: Does your partner have experience delivering products where they have taken on the product market fit risk themselves? Is their experience practical or academic? What products have they delivered using the product operating model?
• Coaching and engineering assistance: Does your partner have the capability to define the right Product Operating Model for your organisation. Do they have the credibility to offer coaching and engineering delivery in an integrated fashion?
If your engineering function is ready to move beyond agile and become a true product-driven engine, Propel is here to partner with you to coach and execute, delivering the right thing faster.
