Casey Winters Dives Deep Into Prioritization, Second Product Mishaps, Meta & Square
Mar 14, 2024
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Casey Winters discusses prioritization challenges, Meta's decisive history, mishaps with second products, and Square's organizational shift. The podcast explores improving product expansions, recognizing signs of trouble, and the impact of organizational structure on growth. Join us for more insights at Unsolicitedfeedback.co.
Tech companies face trade-offs between GM and functional org models; balance autonomy, collaboration, and strategic coherence.
Deep dives
Transition to Functional Org Structure at Square
Square has recently announced a shift from a GM product unit structure to a more traditional functional organization. The move towards functional orgs signifies a strategic pivot towards managing one cohesive platform and ecosystem, with multiple parts working together seamlessly under the direct oversight of the CEO. This transition reflects the company's focus on integrating across different functional areas, aligning them with the overarching strategy of the payments platform and Cash App as integral components.
Exploring Organizational Structures at Tech Companies
The discussion delves into the varying organizational structures seen in tech companies like Zynga, Slack, and Apple. It highlights the converging nature of matrix structures in both business unit and functional organizations, where GM structures lead to shadow functional organizations to ensure consistency and collaboration across different units. The example of Square's transition sheds light on the dynamic nature of org design to meet evolving business needs.
Considerations for Multi-Product Companies
For multi-product companies, the choice between GM-based models and functional structures poses critical trade-offs between accountability and collaboration. While GM structures emphasize business unit autonomy and accountability, functional orgs promote excellence within specific functions. The transformative shift at Square indicates a strategic decision to adapt the organizational model to align with the company's evolution towards a singular payments platform and integrated ecosystem.
Challenges of Scaling and Restructuring
The challenges and decisions faced by tech companies during periods of growth and restructuring are complex. Balancing the unique demands of scaling while maintaining effective collaboration and accountability can necessitate shifts in organizational structures. Square's move reflects the delicate balance between aligning business units with company strategy and promoting cross-functional coherence to drive sustained growth and innovation.
Lessons from Organizational Leadership at Square
The transition at Square offers insights into the strategic role of organizational leadership in navigating structural changes. The shift to a functional org structure underscores the CEO's responsibility in orchestrating integration across diverse functional areas, aligning with overarching business goals, and fostering a coherent ecosystem. This transition showcases the dynamic nature of adapting organizational designs to drive scalability, collaboration, and long-term strategic success.
Casey Winters is back with Fareed Mosavat and our guest co-host, Ravi Mehta. In this episode, we're discussing two recent articles from Casey Accidental, Casey’s product & growth blog. In “Wood Grain Steering Wheels,” Casey writes about a misplaced prioritization pattern he sees time and time again.
We delve into these prioritization challenges and explore Meta's impressive history of decisive prioritization.
Then, we jump into mishaps with second products - understanding signs of trouble and how to address them.
Lastly, we delve into the impact of organizational structure on product expansions, analyzing the reasoning behind Square's recent organizational shift.
For a full summary, join us at Unsolicitedfeedback.co.
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