The Importance of CEO Involvement in Pilot Projects

In this episode, Christian Idiodi sits down with SVPG founder Marty Cagan to discuss transformation politics. They break down the delicate organizational dynamics that emerge during product transformations, and practical strategies for navigating them.

-

Today’s discussion unpacks:

• Common political dynamics within transformations

• The critical “results window”

• The role of champions and evangelists

• How to leverage pilot teams

• The behaviors that build vs lose trust

-

References:

• Pilot Teams by Chris Jones: https://www.svpg.com/pilot-teams/

• The CSPO Pathology by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/the-cspo-pathology/

• Transformation as a Project by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/transformation-as-a-project/

• Transformation Politics by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/transformation-politics/

-

Where to find SVPG:

• SVPG’s newest book, TRANSFORMED: ⁠https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/

• Other books: https://www.svpg.com/books/

• Articles: ⁠https://www.svpg.com/articles/

• Workshops: ⁠https://www.svpg.com/⁠

• Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos/

-

Where to find Christian Idiodi:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/

-

Where to find Marty Cagan:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan

-

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(00:32) Why Marty became interested in this topic

(03:34) Common political dynamics within transformations

(05:54) Who you need to win over

(07:22) The power of pilot teams

(14:11) Utilizing champions

(18:08) Framing a transformation effort to the CEO

(25:00) Setting expectations around outcomes

(30:01) Where teams and leaders lose trust

(35:49) Balancing short-term maintenance with longer-term innovation

(38:45) The politics of picking problems

(42:59) Closing thoughts

-

Disclaimer:

While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/

-

Production:

Production by supermix.io