Why do we have balanced product teams?

[Original video] Why are balanced product teams important? During my time at Pivotal Labs and Strava, we have a balanced team of engineers, data scientists, product managers, and product designers. This balance is essential to solving the problems we face.

What is a balanced team?

A balanced team is a team that is composed of a variety of different roles, such as product management, product design, data science, and engineering. This is often referred to as a "two pizza team" at Amazon, meaning that the team is small enough that it can be fed with two large pizzas.

The idea is that when you have a good balance of characters on the team, whatever assignment you give them, they have all the constituents they need to solve the problem. This is why balanced teams are so important.

Why do we need balanced teams?

The reason for having balanced teams is that they provide the necessary skills and perspectives to solve the problems that arise. For instance, at Strava, our trust and safety team is composed of engineers, data scientists, product managers, and product designers. This balance allows us to go and figure out our roadmaps and prioritize what we're going to be working on.

Having a balanced team also ensures that everyone's voices are heard and that work is done collaboratively. This is essential for creating great products and features.

Conclusion

Balanced teams are essential for creating great products and features. They provide the necessary skills and perspectives to solve the problems that arise, and ensure that everyone's voices are heard and that work is done collaboratively. At Strava, we refer to these teams as vertical teams or cross-functional teams, but balance is what you're really going for.