Who Owns the Experience of Work? Managers as Product Managers | Alex Komoroske
Mar 11, 2025
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In this engaging discussion, Alex Komoroske, a product leader and systems thinker, explores the concept of work as an ecosystem. He emphasizes the importance of creativity over rigid frameworks and reveals how product management can enhance work design. Alex shares insights on how managers should act as curators to foster innovation and empower teams rather than control them. The conversation highlights the impact of narrative in experience creation and the significance of supportive leadership in shaping employee engagement and collaboration.
Viewing work as an ecosystem encourages interdependency among stakeholders, enhancing collaboration and organic growth for sustained success.
Effective product management prioritizes vision and creativity over mere execution, fostering innovation and adaptability in response to team dynamics.
Leadership plays a crucial role in nurturing individual strengths within high-performing teams, fostering ownership, pride, and a collective sense of purpose.
Deep dives
The Complexity of Frameworks in Decision-Making
Frameworks can streamline decision-making, but they often oversimplify the complexities of real situations. Relying too heavily on any single lens can lead to misguided actions, such as making poor decisions based on frameworks that don't apply. It's crucial for individuals to maintain their agency and critical thinking, rather than blindly following frameworks that may not suit their current context. The danger lies in becoming overly reliant on these tools, which can stifle creativity and limit one's ability to think beyond established parameters.
Rethinking Product Management Roles
Effective product managers function as holistic handlers of their products, thinking beyond immediate tasks to the larger vision and strategy. This role requires recognizing the interconnectedness of their work and maximizing the overall value it can create instead of merely delivering on set deadlines. In many organizations, product management has shifted towards a more execution-driven role that can detract from the creative essence that initially characterized it. Great product management encompasses a balance of vision, creativity, and the ability to adapt strategies according to team dynamics and organizational needs.
Nurturing Team Dynamics for Optimal Performance
High-performing teams thrive on the diverse strengths and unique capabilities of their individual members. This diversity not only enriches the team's output but fosters a sense of ownership and pride in their work. Leadership plays a critical role in identifying and cultivating these strengths, supporting individuals to discover and harness their unique contributions. A collaborative environment where team members are encouraged to create and innovate can lead to exceptional results and a sense of shared purpose.
Creating an Engaging Work Experience
Work should be seen as a transformational experience that contributes to both personal and professional growth. Organizations have the potential to design work that is not only fulfilling but also enhances employees' lives, fostering a culture of intrinsic motivation. This requires a genuine commitment to understanding the needs and desires of employees, allowing them to engage with their work fully. A supportive environment that encourages creativity and social interaction can lead to improved morale and lower turnover rates.
Harnessing Ecosystems for Value Creation
Viewing businesses as ecosystems emphasizes the importance of interdependencies among various stakeholders in generating value. Successful platforms leverage multifaceted interactions that transcend simple buyer-seller relationships, focusing on creating environments for sustained growth. Managers are positioned as brokers within these ecosystems, facilitating connections between team member passions and the organization’s goals. Platforms that foster organic growth and collaboration can unlock immense value, far exceeding the sum of individual contributions.
This is the third in a series of episodes with world-leading product management experts about how we might build product management best practices into team leadership.
Alex Komoroske spent years as either a Product Manager or Director of Product Management for platforms that most of us use every day: Chrome, Google Maps, Google Earth, and others. He then went on to lead corporate strategy at Stripe, another platform \most of us use every day. While at Google, Alex wrote an internal how-to called “Practical PM Stuff” that many Google PMs referred to as the Product Managers Bible. It covered everything from basics like how to answer an email to esoterica like the difference between complexity and ambiguity or how Schelling points form in organizations.
In this episode, Dart and Alex discuss: - Work as an ecosystem, not a machine - Indirect influence over direct control - How frameworks can kill creativity - The role of product management in work design - How companies stifle innovation - The power of riding momentum - Managers as curators, not controllers - Balancing autonomy and structure - Why great ideas bypass leadership - And other topics...
Alex Komoroske is a product leader and systems thinker who specializes in platforms and ecosystems. Alex is known for his "Gardening Platforms" approach, which encourages guiding ecosystems toward greatness instead of controlling them. Now Co-CEO of Common Tools, he continues to explore how technology and organizations evolve.
Work with Dart: Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.
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