I had a great time at Devfest Berlin yesterday! The event was packed with insightful talks, and one that stood out for me was "Fellowship of Product: How Your Team Setup Affects Your Experience" presented by Inès Mir and Doruk Deniz Kutukculer.
The session explored two distinct tech team structures, strengths, and challenges. The Fellowship of Product emphasizes collaboration, joint goal-setting, and empathy for users, fostering a sense of shared ownership. However, it can come with communication challenges, blurred accountability due to shared responsibility, and increased meetings to maintain alignment.
On the other hand, Gathered Forces excels in specialization, efficiency, and well-defined processes. Yet, this structure can sometimes create silos, slow down feedback loops, stifle innovation, and lead to losing sight of the bigger picture. Bureaucracy and reduced individual influence can also limit the team’s overall dynamism.
One of my key takeaways was realizing that team structures are rarely easy to change. Understanding how a team is set up is crucial, as it plays a significant role in shaping your day-to-day experience, collaboration dynamics, and opportunities for personal growth.
A big thank you to the organizers and speakers for making this such a fantastic and rewarding event! 🙌
