Principles
Guiding ideas behind the Dotwork POM Starter Pack
Before we jump into tools, objects, and operating systems, we want to be clear about the principles we believe matter most in building a sustainable, adaptive, and human Product Operating Model. These aren't theoretical. They reflect real challenges we've seen across teams—and the values that anchor the Starter Pack's design.
Stable, Empowered, and Entrepreneurial Teams
The team—not the project—is the core unit of value creation. Projects come and go. Some bets succeed. Others don't. But stable, focused teams are where trust forms, learning compounds, and execution sharpens.
- Teams should have enduring areas of focus
- Teams are not temporary workgroups—they own outcomes and domains
- Be intentional about how team identities are held
End-to-End, Customer-First, Value Chain Thinking
Customers don't experience our company in isolated parts. They criss-cross products, teams, and touchpoints to get things done.
- Always start with the customer—all teams play a part
- Think globally, act locally
- Org design should serve the end-to-end experience
When We Commit to Big Things, We Go All In
Most of the time, we optimize for loosely coupled teams. But sometimes we need to do something big together.
- It should feel different and focused
- We pause everything else and form a real team
- One team, one mission—until the work is done
Ask: What Should We Do?
It's easy to get stuck in "what can we do?" mode. But that mindset locks us into incrementalism.
- Product thinking means challenging the status quo
- Strategy means facing tradeoffs and aiming higher
- Keep asking what you should do, then figure out how
Intentional Between-Team Interactions
Not every team can—or should—be fully autonomous. Some roles need to embed, collaborate, or consult.
- Make interfaces explicit
- Choose the right interaction mode
- Don't overstandardize—just be intentional
Embrace Writing (and Reading) as Collaboration
In a distributed, async world, collaboration increasingly means documentation.
- Writing helps sharpen ideas
- Reading helps teams converge
- Live documents—not lifeless artifacts
Think in Bets (All Shapes and Sizes)
Everything we do is a bet. Some are big, long-horizon bets. Others are small, short-term experiments.
- Define bets explicitly: hypothesis, risk, upside
- Track, revisit, and reflect on impact
- Encourage teams to propose and pitch bets
Apply Product Thinking to How We Work
The way we work is a product. Treat it like one.
- Start with the why
- Design for the user—your team, partners, or org
- Prototype, test, refine