Product Squad
What is a product squad?
A product squad is a cross-functional team—typically including a product manager, designer, and engineer—that works together on product discovery and delivery. Product squads are empowered to conduct their own research, speak with customers, and make product decisions within their area of focus.
The term is often used interchangeably with "product team" or "product trio," though it's more common in organizations using agile or scrum terminology. Regardless of the label, the key characteristic is cross-functional collaboration on both understanding customer needs and building solutions.
What distinguishes product squads from traditional team structures?
Product squads differ from traditional team structures in several important ways:
Self-service research capability means squads conduct their own customer interviews and discovery activities rather than relying entirely on a separate UX research team to do research for them. Squad members take turns observing and taking notes during customer interviews, and they synthesize and map what they learn together.
Empowerment to make decisions within their area of focus means squads don't just execute requirements handed down from elsewhere. They have autonomy to identify opportunities, test solutions, and determine how to reach their assigned outcome.
Cross-functional collaboration throughout the process means the product manager, designer, and engineer work together from discovery through delivery, not in sequential hand-offs. They share responsibility for understanding customers and making product decisions.
This structure enables squads to move faster because they have the skills and authority needed to learn from customers and act on what they discover without waiting for approvals or external research.
How do multiple product squads work together?
Organizations often have several product squads working simultaneously, each focusing on different outcomes or areas of the product. This creates both opportunities and challenges:
Shared language and frameworks help squads align even when working on different problems. When multiple squads use the same format for their opportunity space—like opportunity solution trees—it becomes easier for them to communicate with each other and understand how their work connects.
Alignment around outcomes ensures that while squads have autonomy in how they reach their goals, their goals ladder up to broader business objectives that create coherence across the organization.
Consistency in approach to discovery activities means squads can learn from each other's practices and build organizational capability. When one squad identifies friction points in the research process and makes improvements, other squads can benefit from those learnings.
The goal is to give each squad enough autonomy to move quickly while maintaining enough coordination that the organization's overall product strategy remains coherent.
Learn more:
- Product Trios: What They Are, Why They Matter, and How to Get Started
- Product Discovery Basics: Everything You Need to Know
Related terms:
- Product Trio
- Product Team
- Cross-Functional Team
- Empowered Team
Last Updated: October 25, 2025