How Product Delivery Builds Better Products
27 November 2025There has been has increasing banter around terms such as product-centricity, customer obsession, and continuous delivery. However, merely invoking these terms does not equate to achieving genuine organisational change. Transitioning from project-based delivery to a product-oriented approach requires far more than superficial organisational adjustments or adopting different ways of working rituals. It represents a profound reconfiguration of how organisations conceptualise, create, and deliver value - a process that is both complex and demanding (Cagan & Jones, 2021; Cutler, 2022).
Despite these challenges, organisations that successfully embrace product delivery are realising measurable benefits: accelerated time to market, products that effectively address customer needs, and workforces that are more engaged and empowered (Murphy, 2023). Yet such transformation necessitates deliberate investment in capability building, particularly through high-quality product management education that establishes a shared foundation for new ways of working (Bowman, 2011). This, when aligned with a solid investment in organisational culture, strategy and alignment towards product thinking, has the potential to create exceptional products. I have seen this repeatedly especially when running the Product Management course for Skills DG, whereby the investment in education does challenge the way people view product delivery.
The project delivery model, while effective in previous decades, is increasingly misaligned with contemporary business dynamics. Traditional approaches - characterised by fixed requirements, formal approvals, and linear delivery - are ill-suited to environments where customer needs and market conditions evolve rapidly (Rigby, Sutherland, & Noble, 2018). Product delivery reverses this logic. Rather than focusing on delivering predefined outputs on time and within budget, it centres on continuously generating customer value through iterative development and feedback loops (Cagan & Jones, 2021). This is about driving towards outcomes with the appropriate support from outputs. Again, the Product Management course, I often stress the importance of ‘fast learning through fast feedback’. This is key to understanding value.
However, this paradigm shift cannot be enacted by declaration alone. It requires new competencies, adaptive governance structures, and the cultivation of a learning-oriented culture. Structured education in product management and related disciplines is essential to support this transformation and to ensure consistency of understanding across diverse organisational roles (Bowman, 2011; Murphy, 2023). A good example of this deeper learning can be found in the Product Management courses that I often run (See https://skillsdg.com/au/course-area/product-and-design). Tie this in with continued support such as coaching after the training, helps deepen the understanding of people tasked with driving the product space. This learning journey is something is I’ve been involved with in numerous organisations over the years and shows how to deepen lessons learnt at the coalface.
The most significant obstacle to adopting product delivery is cultural. We are used to measuring success in terms of scope, time, and budget without thinking about the value we are actually trying to achieve. Instead, aligning to value-based metrics that reward learning, adaptability, and customer impact allows to focus on things of most thought and desirability (Denning, 2018). This moves an organisation from a more hierarchical structure in terms of decision making to more networked, empowered teams. This shift challenges long-held professional identities, particularly among managers and senior stakeholders perhaps more accustomed to command-and-control decision-making (Kotter, 2012).
Cultural change requires intentional design. Teams benefit from guided learning experiences that articulate not only what product delivery entails, but why it matters. Applied learning, such as case-based product management courses, can translate abstract principles into actionable practices that resonate better with practitioners (Bowman, 2011). The counter to this, was evident at an organisation I was working with. It had adopted an agile way of working with a corresponding product first mindset. Or rather, that was the words bandied about by management - product centric, customer obsessed and so forth. What was missing was the deeper understanding, deeper buy-in and learning. It was fair to say that toxic behaviour existed before, during and after that project. The product management course is designed so that the concepts are realised through action, to be able to connect idea with activity.
Another challenge is perceived ambiguity surrounding roles particularly between Product Managers, Product Owners, and Project Managers and is some cases, Business Analysts. This creates friction in the workflow and can create confusion. Without clear understanding of responsibilities, organisations experience duplication of effort, strategic misalignment, and stakeholder frustration (Murphy, 2023). Generally speaking, Product Managers should focus on shaping long-term product strategy, while Product Owners are accountable for maximising value at the team level. This, of course, varies with context. Portfolio leaders, in turn, must balance autonomy of the initiative and teams with strategic coherence (Cagan & Jones, 2021).
Establishing these distinctions requires both education and structural alignment. Formal training such as tailored product management and Lean Portfolio Management programmes can provide the conceptual and practical frameworks necessary for coherent role execution (Leffingwell, 2021).
Another challenge can be seen around organisational governance and funding mechanisms and how they might impede product delivery. Delivery models, grounded in stage-gate approvals and fixed-scope budgeting, constrain flexibility and responsiveness. In contrast, product delivery necessitates lean governance systems that enable continuous funding and rapid decision-making aligned with value streams (Denning, 2018; Leffingwell, 2021). This shift can be most challenging and is often one the last business elements to work through.
Realising this shift demands education across functional boundaries. Finance professionals must understand the limitations of fixed-scope funding, executives must learn to govern through outcomes rather than outputs, and portfolio managers must develop capabilities in dynamic investment allocation. Targeted learning initiatives play a critical role in enabling these systemic adjustments (Murphy, 2023). Product management (and the product management course) attempts to connect the concept of outcome and outputs and to focus on outcomes helps to realise value. The further connection is them to understand how product is delivered and funded in context.
Initial enthusiasm following framework adoption can wane as old habits resurface. Common regression patterns include reintroducing fixed requirements, reinstating rigid deadlines, and reverting to project-based reporting (Rigby et al., 2018). Whilst these are inherently bad, they can hinder the focus on building valuable products that realise value. In other words, focus on the wrong thing and create the wrong behaviour. Sustained transformation requires ongoing reinforcement through communities of practice, coaching, and continuous learning.
While introductory training establishes foundational knowledge, enduring change arises from consistent practice, reflective learning, and organisational support mechanisms that sustain behavioural adaptation over time (Kotter, 2012; Bowman, 2011). Moving to a more product centric organisational is often made up of many moving parts. The key to the product management course is that it builds upon the product owner course by taking product management into a more strategic worldview.
Some of the key success patterns of organisations moving to a more product centric world view have certain commonalities:
- Investment in People – Lasting change stems from capability development rather than technology adoption or consultancy interventions (Denning, 2018; Murphy, 2023). Organisations that prioritise structured learning pathways for emerging product leaders demonstrate greater resilience and success.
- Contextualised Learning – Training that incorporates an organisation’s specific governance, customer, and technical context yields higher retention and practical application of knowledge (Bowman, 2011).
- Supportive Ecosystems – Establishing communities of practice and mentorship frameworks reinforces continuous improvement and shared learning (Kotter, 2012).
- Executive Sponsorship and Role Modelling – Leadership commitment, demonstrated through participation in training and behavioural alignment, signals authenticity and sustains cultural change (Leffingwell, 2021).
The transition to product delivery is inherently complex but ultimately transformative. Organisations that persevere through the discomfort of change build not only better products but also more adaptive, innovative, and fulfilling workplaces. Success depends on developing skilled practitioners who understand the underlying principles of product thinking and possess the confidence to apply them in practice.
Investing in comprehensive education whether through product management courses, Product Owner training, or executive development in Lean Portfolio Management is not ancillary to success; it is its precondition. The future will favour organisations that invest as deeply in their people as they do in their products.
References
- Bowman, S. (2011). Training from the Back of the Room! 65 Ways to Step Aside and Let Them Learn. Pfeiffer.
- Cagan, M., & Jones, C. (2021). Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products. Wiley.
- Cutler, J. (2022). The Beautiful Mess: Navigating the Complexity of Product Delivery. Amplitude Press.
- Denning, S. (2018). The Age of Agile: How Smart Companies Are Transforming the Way Work Gets Done. AMACOM.
- Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review Press.
- Leffingwell, D. (2021). SAFe 5.0 Reference Guide: Scaled Agile Framework for Lean Enterprises. Pearson.
- Murphy, A. (2023). Product Delivery Playbook: Practical Strategies for Modern Product Teams. Product Anonymous Press.
- Rigby, D. K., Sutherland, J., & Noble, A. (2018). Agile at Scale. Harvard Business Review, 96(3), 88–96.
This article was written by Brian Osman, a SkillsDG trainer and coach who tries to bring the human side of agile to life by empowering students to see the broader perspective and applications of agile.
