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Product Management 101: Marty Cagan’s 20 Principles for Building Great Products
Introduction
If you’re in product management, Marty Cagan’s principles aren’t just good advice — they’re the foundation of how the best product teams operate. Having worked with companies like eBay, Netscape, and AOL, Cagan distilled decades of experience into a framework that separates good product teams from great ones.
I’ve kept these principles pinned above my desk as a daily reminder of what excellence looks like. Here’s my breakdown of Cagan’s 20 Product Model Principles, beautifully visualized by Paweł Huryn and discussed in depth on Cagan’s podcast.
ONE — Product Team Principles
1. Empowered Teams Solve Problems
Bad teams ask: “What do stakeholders want?”
Great teams ask: “What problems need solving?”
The difference is fundamental. When you’re chasing stakeholder requests, you’re just a delivery mechanism. When you’re solving customer problems, you’re creating value. Empowered teams understand this distinction and focus on problems worth solving rather than features worth building.
