From Project to Product Mode, Sebastian Borggrewe, Thomas Hartmann, 2025
In From Project to Product Mode, Sebastian Borggrewe and Thomas Hartmann outline seven challenges for shifting from project to product mode: segmentation (homogeneous customer segments), pricing (individual requests highly priced), product discovery (filters ideas), prioritization (long-term value generation), product orgs (empowered PMs and cross-functional teams), push vs. pull (validated opportunities), and standardization through configuration. The book provides a framework for leading this transformation.
Top 3 Learnings:
Seven challenges define the shift from project to product mode. Segmentation: start with segmentation, support product enablement for sales, align sales incentives, participate in sales conversations, incentivize product thinking. Pricing: volume-based pricing, features-based pricing, product-led growth (pricing one dimension at zero), special requests = expensive. Shifting from controlling costs to strategically investing resources.
Product discovery filters ideas by underlying problem, who else experiences it and how frequently, alignment with company product strategy and customer segments, lightweight validations, and testing if clients are willing to commit and pay. Prioritization without guardrails: identify who your main customers really are and what critical problems they share—and which dimensions stay stable over time (Amazon: users always want low price, fast delivery, large selection).
How to lead change: systemically understand what’s wrong (why is this behavior happening? who benefits? what success metrics are optimized? what trade-offs are invisible but real? what does this say about how your company defines progress?), align leadership (360° assessment across all relevant departments), prioritize what matters most, enable your people to work differently (how to say no clearly, run meaningful discovery activities, manage stakeholder pressure effectively, define success through outcomes rather than outputs, prioritize confidently across conflicting demands, connect to sales, marketing, engineering, finance). Language creates clarity. Clarity creates movement.
Why and when to read it:
Read this when you’re leading a transformation from project to product mode or struggling with any of the seven challenges. It’s especially valuable for product leaders, engineering managers, or executives responsible for organizational change. The book provides a clear framework for understanding what needs to change and how to lead that change, making it perfect for companies stuck in project mode or wanting to become more product-centric.