Blurring boundaries: Toward the collective empathic understanding of product requirements

Abstract

Many software product companies create cross-functional development teams that own a product or a defined set of features. These product teams often require a deep and collective understanding of the product domain, a rich context within which to understand the product requirements and to make decisions throughout the development process. Little is known about what supports or impedes these teams in collectively achieving this deep understanding. This paper identifies certain organisational conditions that impact teams in this respect. Using Constructivist Grounded Theory method, we studied 18 teams across seven software companies creating products for a diverse range of markets. The study found certain organisational and planning process factors play a significant role in whether product development teams have the potential to collectively develop deep domain understanding. These factors also impact individual and development team dynamics. We identify two essential metaphorical dynamics, broadening the lens and blurring boundaries, that cross-functional product teams employ in order to fully embrace product ownership, visioning, and planning towards achieving this rich context for understanding product requirements. We also conclude that the highly specialised nature of many organisational models and development processes is contraindicated for cross-functional product development teams in achieving this deep collective understanding and we call for a revisiting of conventional organisational and product planning practices for software product development.