End to End Ownership

Product managers are responsible for maximizing the value the product creates. We even generate product teams now and give them end-to-end ownership, including P&L.

Taking ownership and feeling responsible for something is for me tightly connected. As such, I was always wondering about this specific point.

During my early career days, I worked as the only developer for a small marketing agency. The biggest client was a large online player, and I had to do the development for them.

When something exploded, guess who got called?

There was no other person to call. As such, I not only made sure my work was as good as possible but also focused on limiting the number of emergencies that could appear.

I had a high intrinsic motivation to catch errors first. And while many of the details are IT related, the attitude isn't. When you start in a small team, you are less likely to go home when something burns down. Not because your job depends on it but also because you feel responsible.

Creating an environment where people act like this was not something I had to worry about. With size, this issue comes back again. People start to get more excuses for not being part of the solution. The lines aren't as clear anymore.

I still can't answer why some people go away while others are staying. The involving factors might also be too many to count, and the impact might vary. But I can see the benefit of having a team that does care for the company and the team culture.

Over the last months, I had to learn again that some traits are not as given as I thought they are. But the best habits are those you no longer think about but act on, at least when they are positive!