The evolution of digital product teams has transitioned from IT-led to marketing-led strategies to the current product-led approach, with dedicated VPs of Product and Chief Digital Officers in organizations.
In the early days, digital product development lacked dedicated teams, with projects either handled by IT or led by marketing in collaboration with external agencies, focusing on modernizing legacy technology.
Agile methodologies and investment in Digital Experience Platforms (DXPs) brought about a shift towards customer-centric, iterative development, away from outdated long release cycles.
The emergence of Chief Digital Officers (CDOs) marked strategic thinking about digital products, but challenges persisted in execution due to limited control over teams and budgets.
The impact of COVID-19 accelerated digital transformation, prompting companies to rapidly build internal product teams and shift operations online, leading to hiring sprees for top talent.
While companies initially benefitted from hiring premium talent, sustaining momentum post 2023 became challenging as resources tightened, emphasizing the need for improved team efficiency.
The current focus is on treating product development as an ongoing capability with cross-functional, continuously learning and iterating teams, rather than project-based work.
The future of digital product teams involves AI integration to enhance speed, intelligence, and adaptability, alongside adaptive methodologies for real-time response to change.
Companies must evolve their systems for building and iterating digital products, promoting embedded expertise, AI-powered automation, and adaptive methodologies for competitive advantage.
Livefront's MESH model emphasizes embedding experienced product, design, and engineering experts within client teams for partnership-focused execution, collaboration, and knowledge transfer.
The evolving digital product landscape is shifting towards AI-enhanced, embedded, and adaptive teams, where organizations that adapt quickly to this new reality will gain a competitive edge.