My 5 Main Takeaways from Transformed
If I had to summarize the two dominant feelings in the product world right now, I'd say: excitement and frustration. Excitement for all the new opportunities technology is unlocking for us. Frustration with how product development is often implemented in certain companies: a lack of innovation, poor results, rigidly following frameworks and top-down mandates.
At the heart of this frustration, I believe, lies a clash of expectations about what working with technology-powered products actually means. This is where Transformed, the latest book from the SVPG group, comes in—it addresses these concerns and gives a glimpse of how some of the best technology-driven companies operate.
Inspired was the first product development book I ever read, and I’ve followed Marty Cagan’s work ever since. But Transformed feels different. And I believe the biggest difference is its target audience.
As I read, I felt that the main audience for this book is executives who are not used to operating in a technology-driven way. People who primarily see product development as a cost center—slow to deliver and reluctant to follow timelines. Concepts like ship small and often, focus on problem-solving through insights, and the crucial role of engineers in driving innovation are repeated over and over again. Almost like a mantra, to hammer these points into the heads of readers.
I didn’t need to be convinced of the validity of these principles—I’ve worked with them and seen their results. But even so, the book had some valuable takeaways.
1. The Product Model Is Not a "Fixed Way" of Operating—It’s a Set of Principles to Apply to Your Organization
Before publishing the book, Marty Cagan posed a question: what should we call this operating model where technology takes the lead? I advocated for the term “product-centered,” but now I see the value in focusing on principles rather than labels.
Referring to something as “product-led” can give the impression that product always has to be in the driver's seat—that there’s a "right" way to do product, and anything else is wrong. What the book makes clear is that working with technology-powered products isn’t about following a specific methodology. It’s about applying a series of principles tailored to your company’s context.
The product model is built around three key concepts, each supported by multiple principles:
How you build: Small, frequent iterations to learn the best way to deliver value to both customers and the business.
What you build: Make discovery central to the process to reduce risk, and recognize engineers as engines of innovation.
Which problem to solve: Start with an insight-driven strategy that clearly defines focus areas—and just as importantly, what not to focus on.
Adopting the product model isn’t about following dogmas. It’s about adapting these principles at a pace that suits your organization. And it’s a big shift that requires the right support, which leads to my second takeaway...
2. You Can't Transform Without the Support of Your CEO
One of the key messages in the book is that transforming into a technology-empowered product company requires a new way of operating—not just for product development, but for the entire organization.
You need to rethink:
How you decide what to prioritize
How decisions are made
How you incorporate learning into your processes
The competencies your company needs
How you sell and account for products
How you work with timelines
...and more
This is not something that can be achieved solo, even if you're an executive. This kind of transformation requires buy-in from the CEO and alignment among all the company’s leaders. The CEO needs to be the most vocal advocate for this change and support it all the way through. On your end, you need to deliver quick wins to maintain momentum because the journey will be bumpy.
3. Transformation Is a People’s Business
Beyond the CEO's support, the key to transformation is managing the mindset shift required to operate under new principles.
This mindset shift affects everyone:
Product leaders need to co-create a clear path to value through a product strategy developed with other executives, providing direction while pushing decisions down to those closest to the customers.
Stakeholders need to push decision-making power to teams, recognizing that those closest to the technology are best positioned to innovate. They must collaborate with product teams while holding them accountable for results. And not wanting to have the last word all the time.
The product team needs to shift from being task-oriented to being accountable for value creation—focusing on achieving outcomes, not just shipping features.
CFOs and CEOs need to start viewing technology as a revenue center rather than a cost center and accept that innovation often comes at the cost of predictability.
None of this is easy. It requires hard work and, in some cases, a change of leadership. Without these shifts, it’s nearly impossible to operate like the world’s most innovative companies.
Some key tips for success include:
Over-communicate and be transparent
Involve stakeholders and seek their cooperation
Provide context for decisions
Show progress and gather feedback regularly
Take accountability for results
Honor high-integrity commitments, almost at any cost
Remember, not everyone will thrive in this new way of working. If resistance is too high, tougher decisions may be necessary—and that’s where you’ll need the CEO’s backing once again.
4. Create a Shared Language Around Business Impact
Transformation can be scary because it often involves a power shift. One way to mitigate this is by creating a shared language that aligns everyone on what truly matters: business impact.
Some common challenges you’ll encounter include:
Big customers dictating product features (hello, B2B!)
Sales teams believe they alone should handle customer relationships and dictate the roadmap
CEOs and boards demanding predictability
Business units are convinced they know which initiatives are most important
To overcome these obstacles, you need to create a common language around questions like:
What does success look like for us?
How can we measure it?
What insights do we have from customers and the market?
What are our best opportunities?
Who are the best people to share data and insights to help us pursue them?
Co-creation and a focus on the bigger picture—what's best for the company—are essential. Above all, trust that your colleagues have the company’s best interests at heart.
5. Make Your Case for Innovation Over Predictability
One of the book’s most compelling arguments is about why we should fund product teams for outcomes, not projects.
When you operate on a project basis, you typically know:
The scope
The resources (competence, budget, time)
The desired output—often just "getting something out the door"
This model provides predictability: you ship, and you’re done. But the focus is on shipping, not on delivering results. This creates an illusion of control, but it discourages ownership, reduces iteration, and often fails to deliver a positive ROI. Innovation becomes rare—and costly.
In contrast, focusing on outcomes may reduce predictability, but it increases the chances of innovation.
The key argument here is: do we prioritize knowing the exact delivery date, or achieving the desired outcome?
Technology and human behavior are unpredictable, and if you prioritize predictability 100%, you sacrifice innovation. In your product journey, you need to decide where to position yourself on that spectrum.
But of course, you can’t respond with “I don’t know” when people ask what to expect. Some strategies to balance innovation with communication include:
Retrospective analysis: Connect specific results to specific investments.
Outcome-based roadmaps: Show identified opportunities and your level of confidence in them.
Experimentation: Share your upcoming experiments and ask for feedback often, report back on the learnings often
Connect with business value: Highlight how outcomes align with overall business goals.
Transforming how an entire company operates isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. I’ve seen firsthand how changing the way we worked led to a +130% increase in sales. The key is identifying how to approach transformation in your company—as an evolution or a revolution.
Focus on collaboration, insights, and delivering business value. Good luck on your journey!
