by Carolina Fernández Vallés, Head of Product
Product management thrives when treated like a team sport, where every role matters equally. Just as no player is above the team in football or basketball, no single function, whether product, design, or engineering, should dominate.
While much is written about product managers, far less attention is given to the full product team. If you have worked in a truly collaborative product environment, you know the magic. Achieving balance across disciplines is tough, and every company adapts its own model. But one thing is clear: strong team bonds drive success. I hope you get to experience building products with an authentic, unified product team.
Configuring a multidisciplinary team is always challenging. Many companies approach it from a traditional perspective, building RACIs and governance forums, instead of focusing first on what needs to be achieved and on shared success. Starting with what unites us, rather than what separates us, is my first piece of advice to ease these conversations.
Too often, product teams are structured based on the org chart. Instead, they should be built around the core elements that drive a product’s success. It must be valuable, viable, feasible, and desirable. This happens at the intersection of business value, user value, and technological value. From there, you can identify “roles” or domain areas and then assign names. One person may oversee multiple domains.
The time needed to reach agreement on team configuration will vary depending on organizational maturity, complexity, and hierarchy. I recommend making this step as lean as possible. The reality of product work will show you what you truly need. When people try to build overly abstract frameworks, the situation quickly becomes overcomplicated.
Once alignment is reached and the team is ready to start, the real game begins. There is always a period of testing and adjustment, especially if people do not yet know each other. I recommend colocating the team virtually, and physically when possible. I know it is not always easy, but when it is, having a common space with a visual dashboard and product KPIs is invaluable. It gives everyone, from stakeholders to management, a clear sense of what is going on. Kicking off the team face to face is fundamental. Let the team define its own values, behaviors, and objectives. Let them feel bigger than the sum of their parts.
Once you are underway, how do you get the best out of the team? How do you build real relationships?
Recently I listened to a podcast with Simon Sinek and Esther Perel on “what love life can teach you about work relationships.” In contemporary society, many people seek fulfillment and a sense of community at work, especially as other forms of community have declined in certain countries.
Over time, business has borrowed concepts from the world of relationships, words like trust, psychological safety, storytelling, authenticity, and combined them with key performance indicators, growth targets, and productivity metrics. It is no question that for teams to thrive, relationships matter. The quality of your relationships affects your happiness and ultimately your business results.
So my biggest advice is this: invest in your product teams, empower them, and protect them. Act quickly when you detect unhealthy behaviors or situations, because these will impact morale and, ultimately, your business metrics.