Strategies for Managing Cross-Functional Tech Projects

Organizing Teams in the Real World Organizing dev teams isn’t just about dividing headcount by the optimal Scrum team size. It’s about creating structures and interactions that minimize inefficiencies and maximize throughput. Imagine you’ve got 40 engineers (front-end, back-end, security, DevOps, BAs, etc.). Some are seasoned; others are less experienced. With limited specialists, equal skill distribution isn’t possible. So how do you balance customer focus, reduce handoffs, and optimize delivery? Approach 1: Functional Teams w/ Centralized Specialists Functional teams are organized by skill. F/E devs in one team. B/E in another. Centralized specialists support everyone. Ex: Five functional teams and a central pool of 3 security engineers and 2 DevOps experts. Pros: Deep expertise within domains. Efficient use of scarce specialists. Cons: Lots of handoffs and delays as features move between teams. Specialists become bottlenecks. Low throughput due to coordination overhead. Result: Prioritizes expertise but sacrifices efficiency and speed. Approach 2: Component Teams w/ Platform Support Component teams own specific architectural layers (e.g., database, APIs), supported by a platform team that builds reusable tools. Ex: Four component teams and a 5-person platform team for shared services. Pros: Clear ownership of systems. Standardized tools reduce redundant work. Cons: Features spanning components require coordination. Platform dependencies can delay delivery. Teams may lose focus on customer outcomes. Result: Improved scalability, but handoffs and misaligned priorities persist. Approach 3: Hybrid Cross-Functional Teams w/ Specialist Support Feature teams are organized around end-to-end business domains, supported by floating specialists or a platform team for niche needs. Ex: Six cross-functional teams, 3 floating specialists, and a 2-person platform team. Pros: Low handoffs. Teams handle most work independently. Customer-centric focus. Efficient specialist use through targeted support. Cons: Demand spikes can stretch specialists. Upskilling generalists requires investment. Result: Balances autonomy, specialization, and throughput. Best Fit: Hybrid The hybrid cross-functional model provides the best balance of autonomy, scalability, and efficiency. This topology reduces handoffs and mitigates skill shortages. Implementing the Hybrid Model 1) Organize teams around business domains (e.g., onboarding, reporting). 2) Use floating experts or a platform team for shared needs (e.g. security, DevOps). 3) Upskill generalists to reduce dependence on specialists for routine tasks. 4) Standardize tools and create reusable solutions to streamline dependencies. Reality Perfectly balanced teams are a rarity. The hybrid model delivers a practical compromise. By minimizing handoffs, focusing on customer outcomes, and optimizing the use of specialists, you can enjoy faster delivery and greater agility despite real-world constraints.

A common partnership snafu is that companies want partnership success, but don’t provide the resources to get there. I heard of a case where a whole marketing team quit, the partnerships team was given no marketing support, and they didn't yet have an integration with product -- and yet, the CEO expected the partnership strategy to deliver instant revenue. Wild. But not uncommon. Partnerships can't thrive in a vacuum. They need cross-functional support—marketing, product integration, sales enablement—all aligned to succeed. Before you set revenue targets for your partnerships, ask yourself: Do we have the resources to support them? If the answer is no, you have to help your leadership teams to reconsider their expectations. To help create the cross-functional support needed for partnerships to thrive, here are four strategies: 1. Involve Cross-Functional Leaders from the Very Beginning Bring key leaders from marketing, sales, and product into the partnership planning phase. Early involvement gives them a sense of ownership and ensures they understand how partnerships align with their own goals. Strategy: Schedule a kick-off meeting with stakeholders from each relevant department. Create a shared roadmap that outlines how partnerships will impact each team and their specific contributions. 2. Tie Partnership Success to Department KPIs To gain buy-in, tie partnership goals directly to the KPIs of each department. Aligning partnership outcomes with what each team is measured on ensures they have skin in the game. Strategy: During planning sessions, ask each department head how partnerships can contribute to their targets. Build specific KPIs for each function into the overall partnership strategy. 3. Create a Resource Exchange Agreement Formalize the support needed from each department with a resource exchange agreement. This sets clear expectations on what each function will contribute—whether it's a dedicated product team member for integrations or marketing resources for co-branded campaigns. It turns vague promises into commitments. Strategy: Draft a simple document that outlines the roles, responsibilities, and deliverables each team will provide, then get sign-off from department heads and the executive team. 4. Demonstrate Early Wins for Buy-In Quick wins go a long way toward securing ongoing resources. Identify a small pilot project with an internal team that shows immediate impact. Whether it's a small co-marketing campaign or a limited integration, these early successes build momentum and demonstrate the value of supporting partnerships. Strategy: Select one or two partners to run a pilot with, focused on delivering measurable outcomes like leads generated or product adoption. Use this success story to demonstrate value to other departments and secure further commitment. Partnership success requires cross-functional alignment. Because partnerships don’t happen in a silo.

2 areas effective project managers spend more time on than schedules 👉 Risks 👉 Relationships New PMs think success means keeping a schedule on-track. Timelines? Nailed. Tasks? Checked off. Reports? Flawless. But Senior PMs realize the real work isn't in the schedule. It's in the uncertainty around it. So they don't spend time obsessing over it. Instead they: → ID hidden risks before they become real → Navigate cross-functional politics/team dynamics → Align leadership on priorities when the project shifts → Have tough conversations that others avoid When you're operating at a senior level, you're not just managing a plan. You're managing people, change, AND the unknown. Here's how to shift your focus: ✅ Make risk management a superpower Anyone can report delays. Leaders forecast, mitigate, and build trust. Regularly review risk logs with the team. Escalate early. Offer options, get decisions, and outline/communicate next steps. ✅ Build influence, not just status updates Trust isn't built by having perfect charts or reporting dashboards. It's earned by showing up calm, driving clarity, and making a plan when things go sideways. Proactively meet with stakeholders and share what MATTERs. Connect project risks to business impact and get leadership alignment. ✅ Focus on relationships that move the work forward You can't "task manage" you way to success in complex projects. You need people aligned, informed, and empowered. Invest in 1:1s. Understand what stakeholders really care about. Don't chase, connect. Timelines don't get you promoted. Trust does. Prioritize risk management and relationships to succeed in your projects and get you where you want to go next. 🤙

Clear Vision, Clear Results Ever been part of a project where no one seemed to be on the same page? Vague requirements, stakeholders with conflicting priorities, and the team left guessing what they were supposed to build? It happens all too often, and it’s the number one reason tech projects fail. Effective requirements gathering is the bridge between chaos and clarity. It’s where you align everyone, uncover what’s needed, and set the foundation for success. Here’s how you can turn a chaotic project start into a streamlined path forward: 1. Involve the Right Stakeholders Early ↳ Identify who has a stake in the project’s success. ↳ Bring them in early to get their insights and needs. ↳ Avoid surprises down the line by ensuring alignment from the beginning. 2. Ask Questions that Matter ↳ What problem are we solving? ↳ Who will benefit from this solution? ↳ What are the must-haves vs. nice-to-haves? 3. Use Workshops to Build Consensus ↳ Facilitate collaborative sessions to uncover needs. ↳ Use whiteboards, sticky notes, or digital tools to capture ideas. ↳ Get everyone to agree on priorities and outcomes. 4. Document Requirements Clearly and Concisely ↳ Write requirements in plain language. ↳ Make sure they’re easy for everyone—tech and non-tech—to understand. ↳ Visuals like diagrams and user stories can help make requirements clearer. 5. Validate and Iterate ↳ Share the documented requirements back with stakeholders. ↳ Validate that nothing has been missed or misunderstood. ↳ Iterate until everyone is confident in the plan. According to PMI, poor requirements gathering leads to project failure 37% of the time. Getting this step right is the key to avoiding rework and delays. Effective requirements gathering isn’t just a box to check. It’s the foundation of every successful tech project. It’s how you ensure everyone’s rowing in the same direction from day one. How do you gather requirements effectively in your projects? Share your strategies below! 👇 Stuck in the chaos of vague requirements? I can help bring clarity. DM me, and let’s get your project on the path to success.

7 proven strategies to ensure your IT project hits the mark on time and on budget! One of the most common reasons IT projects fail is poor planning and unclear requirements. This leads to missed deadlines, ballooning budgets, and results that don’t align with business needs. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you plan effectively ensuring your project stays on track. 1. Define Clear Business Objectives Start by clearly defining the objective of the project. Ask yourself: What specific business problem are we solving? If you don’t have a clear answer, your project will likely suffer from scope creep and confusion. 2. Involve Stakeholders Early It’s crucial to include all relevant stakeholders right from the beginning—project managers, developers, designers, and end-users. Doing this helps avoid last-minute changes and rework, which are often the root cause of delays. 3. Break the Project into Phases Trying to deliver everything at once can overwhelm teams and lead to failure. Instead, break the project into manageable phases or milestones. Focus on delivering an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) first, then expand based on feedback. 4. Create Detailed User Stories Vague requirements lead to miscommunication. Use clear, detailed user stories that describe who the user is, what they need, and why. This helps developers understand exactly what to build and reduces the risk of misunderstandings. Example: Instead of a vague requirement like “The system should track orders,” use a user story like: “As a customer, I want to see real-time status updates so I know when my order will arrive.” 5. Prioritize Features Based on Business Impact Not all features are equally important. Prioritize them based on the value they bring to your business. This way, you deliver the most critical functionality first, even if delays occur later. Example: In an e-commerce platform project, we prioritized optimizing the checkout process, which led to a 25% increase in sales, while non-essential features were added later. 6. Set Realistic Timelines and Budgets Overambitious timelines and underestimated budgets often lead to failure. Use historical data to create accurate estimates, and always include a buffer for unforeseen challenges. Example: A SaaS company initially set a tight 3-month deadline for a major update. After reevaluating, we extended it to 5 months with extra time for testing, which allowed us to deliver on time without increasing costs. 7. Implement Regular Feedback Loops Regularly check in with stakeholders and end-users to gather feedback throughout the project. This helps identify and resolve issues early, avoiding major surprises at the end. Conclusion Plan thoroughly, gather clear requirements, and avoid costly project failures. Need help with your project planning or requirements gathering? Reach out, and let’s ensure your next IT project is a success from the start.

In 2018, I almost derailed my career. Messed up pretty bad. And it had nothing to do with code. Back in my Lyft days, I was leading our first-gen self-driving vehicle initiative - my first time managing something of this scale. A complex, multi-team build involving autonomy stacks, hardware integration, cross-functional dependencies… the works. And... Lyft was in IPO mode. Pressure everywhere. Visibility at the highest levels. Here’s what I got wrong: I focused on execution. On making sure the tech worked. On ensuring the vehicle would hit its demo deadline. But I missed something critical: comms and alignment. → I didn’t update downstream teams fast enough. → I assumed shared understanding without confirming it. → I postponed raising risks because “we’ll fix it by next sprint.” → I under-communicated across functions, thinking speed = silence. The result? Delays. Misaligned expectations. A not-so-great review from a stakeholder who mattered. And a very uncomfortable meeting I won’t forget. But here’s what I learned - and what helped me course-correct: - Overcommunicate by default. Through ALL channels. - Transparency buys you trust, especially when stakes are high. - Alignment isn’t a one-time thing - it’s a constant recalibration. - If you think you're over-sharing, you're probably just scratching the surface. I also learned that in environments like an IPO-stage company, clarity is currency. Everyone’s running fast... but if you're not aligned, you’re just sprinting in different directions. We shipped. We learned. We iterated on the process, not just the product. And it made me a better builder - and a better communicator. And that helped me become a better entrepreneur - impacting thousands of lives now through Smart Green Card. If you’re leading a cross-functional project right now and feel that little knot in your stomach… It’s probably your gut telling you: “Talk to someone before it gets worse.” What's your eye-opening career experience? Share it in the comments! #Leadership #Communication #SelfDriving #Lyft #IPO #TechLessons #ProjectManagement #Transparency