The false narrative of shifting from project to product — and why you need both

The intentions behind the project-to-product shift itself are valid, but too many organizations make the move without fixing the underlying problems, and set themselves up for the same challenges they’re trying to solve.

Getting the results you want from your strategy isn’t actually about choosing between project or product. It’s about making sure you have the right approach, people, and alignment to get your strategy delivered in a way that actually moves the needle. So don’t abandon project thinking altogether. Rather, ensure whatever delivery approach you choose is actually set up for success. That’s where most organizations fail, not because they’re managing projects vs. products, but because they never fixed the broken systems that prevent execution from working in the first place.

Strategy execution is like chess. Every piece has a role, and every move matters. If there isn’t focus on achieving the business goals, you won’t win — you’ll just move pieces around until you lose. If everyone in your organization isn’t aligned and strategically moving toward the final outcome, strategy execution turns into a disjointed effort with no real progress.