Cagan-isms: 8 things we learned from Marty Cagan

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Blenheim Chalcot recently hosted a session with product wizard Marty Cagan. Here are eight insights from the session that might just revolutionise how we approach product development.

1. ‘Process is a way to avoid thinking’

Ouch - Cagan dropped this truth bomb. How many times have we hidden behind our Kanban boards and sprint planning sessions, thinking we've got it all figured out?

Cagan warns against the "process purists" who try to push everything towards a formal process. Instead, he advises directing that energy towards coaching, judgment, and critical thinking. 

So, next time you feel the urge to create another flowchart, ask yourself: "Am I solving a problem or avoiding one?"

2. The Friction Faction

Apparently, good product teams are like a well-oiled machine... that occasionally catches fire (in a good way). Cagan emphasises the need for "good friction" within teams. He references Steve Jobs' "Lost Interview," highlighting the importance of respectful challenges between engineers, designers, and product managers.

But here's the kicker: this productive friction is harder to foster in our new remote world. So, next time your designer and engineer are having a heated debate over Zoom, don't call IT - call it innovation! And maybe consider bringing the team together in person for those crucial prototyping and debate sessions. That's where the real magic happens.

3. The 30 in 30 Challenge

Hold onto your product roadmaps, because Cagan suggests that a week in discovery should yield about 30 iterations. If your team isn't producing meaningful insights weekly, it might be time to check if they're actually working or just really good at looking busy.

This rapid iteration isn't just about quantity; it's about learning fast. Cagan emphasises that prototyping and constant testing are essential to product discovery. It's how we uncover customer needs and craft compelling value propositions. 

So, challenge your teams to embrace the "30 in 30" mentality. Who knows? You might just stumble upon your next big breakthrough.

4. The Viability Vortex

Creating value for customers? Easy peasy. Making sure that value doesn't bankrupt your company? Now that's the real challenge. Cagan reminds us that viability is the catch that makes product management truly complex.

He breaks it down for us: value is for your customer, but viability is value for your company. This means ensuring your product is legal, marketable, sellable, monetizable, fundable, and compliant. 

5. The Stakeholder Shuffle

Building trust with executive stakeholders is crucial, but it's not just about managing relationships—it's about demonstrating value through effective solution discovery. Cagan emphasizes that earning stakeholder trust is a critical task for product teams, and it starts with how we approach problem-solving.

Here's the key: focus on solution discovery rather than problem discovery. Many product managers make the mistake of dismissing stakeholder input and independently trying to uncover problems. This not only wastes valuable time but can also erode stakeholder trust.

Instead, Cagan advises us to leverage the expertise of our stakeholders. They often present valid problems, albeit sometimes framed as feature requests. Our job is to reverse-engineer these requests to understand the underlying issues and then focus our energy on creating the best solutions.

By consistently delivering effective solutions to known problems, we build credibility with our stakeholders. This earned trust then allows us to have more influence in problem selection down the line.

Remember, stakeholder relationships should be transactional in the best sense—they contribute their expertise and industry knowledge, and we contribute our product development skills to solve real business problems.

By mastering this stakeholder shuffle—balancing their input with your team's solution discovery prowess—you'll create a harmonious dance of trust, innovation, and effective product development.

6. The Customer Development Dance

For B2B SaaS, Cagan's favourite move is the customer development tango. Focus on making your product exceptional for just 6 customers in a single target market. It's like speed dating, but for product-market fit.

This approach requires discipline, especially when your sales team is chomping at the bit to pursue any prospect with a wallet. But trust the process (yes, I see the irony here). 

By focusing intensely on a small group, you're more likely to create truly referenceable customers - the holy grail of B2B SaaS.

7. The Empathy Expedition

Cagan reminds us that understanding customers goes beyond what they say. We need to know what they think, feel, do, and experience. It's like being a product detective, minus the cool hat and magnifying glass.

Here's where it gets interesting: sometimes, the magic isn't in your application at all. It might be adjacent to it. So, encourage your teams to zoom out and consider the entire service design. What happens before and after users interact with your tech? 

That's where you might find your next big opportunity.

8. The High-Integrity Commitment Tango

Balancing empowered teams with critical deadlines? Cagan suggests high-integrity commitments. It's like promising to do the dishes but for multimillion-dollar projects.

This approach involves getting buy-in from engineering leads to ensure deadlines are met while maintaining productivity. It's about finding that sweet spot between autonomy and accountability. 

And remember, it's okay to reward learning from failed experiments. That's how innovation happens!

Put it all into practice

Marty Cagan's insights are like a shot of espresso for our product minds - energising, slightly bitter, but ultimately eye-opening. 

As CPOs, you have the power (and now some of the knowledge) to create truly empowered, innovative teams.

In the world of product, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. But armed with these Cagan-isms, you can lead our teams to create products that don't just meet specifications, but solve real problems for real people.