Book Notes #06: Agile Business by Bob Gower

Title: Agile Business: A Leader’s Guide to Harnessing Complexity
Author: Bob Gower
Year: 2013
Pages: 260

Is your team running fast… but in the wrong direction?

That’s the kind of uncomfortable question Agile Business: A Leader’s Guide to Harnessing Complexity invites us to ask. This isn’t your typical Agile playbook filled with buzzwords and process diagrams.

It’s a thoughtful, down-to-earth guide for leaders who want to build companies that learn, adapt, and deliver real value—not just more stuff.

Written in an essay style, with wisdom from real practitioners, the book breaks down what it really takes to become an Agile organization.

Spoiler: it’s not just daily standups and sticky notes. It’s about people, culture, and the courage to rethink how we work.

As a result, I gave this book a rating of 8.0/10.

For me, a book with a note 10 is one I consider reading again every year. Among the books I rank with 10, for example, are How to Win Friends and Influence People and Factfulness.

3 Reasons to Read Agile Business

Book Overview

What if the biggest risk in your company isn’t failure—but success at the wrong thing?

That’s the unsettling question at the heart of Agile Business. We’re used to thinking of failure as dramatic: missed deadlines, blown budgets, or buggy software. But Bob Gower makes a quieter, more dangerous case.

He says the real waste happens when teams pour their energy into building things nobody actually wants. Beautifully designed features that go unused. Projects delivered on time but completely off the mark.

It’s not just a technical problem—it’s a human one. And fixing it requires more than new tools. It takes a new way of thinking.

This book isn’t just another Agile manual packed with jargon and process diagrams. It’s more like a guidebook for leaders who want their organizations to breathe, learn, and respond to change without falling apart.

Gower weaves together stories, essays, and insights from experienced practitioners to show what happens when Agile principles move beyond sticky notes on a Scrum board and start shaping how companies think, plan, and lead.

At its core, Agile Business is about building the right thing—and building it right. That starts with ditching the illusion that we can predict everything up front. Gower shares moments from his own career where detailed roadmaps collapsed under the weight of reality.

His turning point came when he realized that the goal wasn’t to control the future, but to design systems that adapt as it unfolds.

That mindset shift is the engine of agility: planning in short cycles, learning from real customer feedback, and being willing to let go of what no longer works.

But Agile isn’t just about the product—it’s about the people. One of the most powerful parts of the book is the chapter on treating “people, not resources.” Gower argues that the way we manage talent often crushes the very qualities we claim to want: creativity, initiative, and collaboration.

He draws inspiration from nature, likening effective teams to flocks of birds—coordinated not through control, but through shared purpose and simple rules. Instead of micromanaging, Agile leaders build the right conditions and trust their teams to fly.

There’s also a strong case for transforming how organizations steer. Traditional planning models reward those who look busy and stick to a script.

But in a complex, fast-changing world, rigid plans can do more harm than good. Gower breaks down the five levels of planning—from long-term vision down to daily work—and shows how rhythm, transparency, and honest retrospectives create a system that can actually learn. It’s not about doing more—it’s about learning faster.

And while many books stop at the team level, Agile Business zooms out to look at the bigger picture: organizational transformation. Change isn’t about pushing a framework onto people—it’s about evolving mindsets and cultures. Gower doesn’t shy away from the messy reality of this work. He acknowledges the resistance, the fear, the slow progress.

But he also shows what’s possible when leaders start listening more, controlling less, and viewing their role as enablers rather than gatekeepers.

What makes this book feel different is how grounded it is. The stories aren’t heroic or dramatic—they’re honest. Managers who struggle to let go. Teams that experiment and fail. Organizations that move forward in small, meaningful steps.

There’s no hype, just a deep respect for the people doing the work and a belief that we can build better systems if we’re willing to rethink our assumptions.

Written in a way that can be easily understood and put to use whether you have previous Agile experience or not. 

Whether you’re looking for an introduction to the topic or want to deepen your own practice, Agile Business will help you understand and apply Agile principles to your business and your life.

In the end, Agile Business isn’t about Agile for the sake of Agile. It’s about creating workplaces where people can do great work, learn together, and build things that matter. It reminds us that the goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress. And in a world that never stops changing, that might just be the most valuable mindset of all.

Other contributors that shared some knowledge in this book:

• Alex Pukinskis
• André Dhondt
• Ann Konkler
• Ben Carey
• Brendan Walsh
• Brent Barton
• Charles Ferentchak
• Chris Browne
• Eric Willeke
• Isaac Montgomery
• Jean Tabaka
• Jeff Ellis
• Jessica Kahn
• Jim Tremlett
• John Michael Martin
• Julie Byrne
• Julie Chickering
• Karl Scotland
• Ken Clyne
• Larry Maccherone
• Laura Burke
• Liz Andora
• Mark Kilby
• Michael Ball-Marian
• Niki Kohari
• Rachel Weston Rowell
• Rick Simmons
• Ronica Roth
• Ryan Martens
• Sean Heuer
• Stephanie Tanner
• Steve Lawrence
• Tamara Nation
• Todd Olson
• Zach Nies

Chapter by Chapter

Chapter 1 – Build the Right Thing

Why building the wrong thing is a bigger problem than you think

Bob Gower opens the book with a clear message: one of the biggest, most expensive, and most demoralizing mistakes companies make is building things customers don’t actually need.

He recalls his time in software product management, feeling unsure about which features mattered and realizing later that unused features weren’t just a minor inefficiency—they were a major drain on time, money, and team morale. Feature bloat leads to frustrated customers, overwhelmed support teams, and slowed-down innovation.

It’s a vicious cycle that can bring even strong companies to their knees.

The antidote? Focus, simplicity, and empathy

The key message is that Agile is not just a process—it’s a mindset. And that mindset starts by putting the customer at the center of everything. Gower draws a powerful contrast with Apple, a company that became a global giant not by adding more, but by focusing on less—delivering simple, elegant solutions that work.

Agile, when done right, helps organizations stop guessing and start listening. It cuts waste by aligning the whole system around learning what customers truly want—and delivering just that.

Three shifts that change everything

The chapter lays out three game-changing practices: start with a clear product vision, release early and often, and work closely with your customers. Without a shared vision, teams drift in different directions. But when everyone aligns around a simple, meaningful goal, decisions become easier and collaboration improves.

Releasing in small increments lets teams learn fast and course-correct before it’s too late. And staying close to customers—through feedback loops, prototyping, or a strong Product Owner—ensures that teams are solving real problems, not just checking boxes.

A powerful mindset shift

This chapter isn’t about introducing a brand-new concept—it’s about showing how a shift in mindset, supported by a few practical changes, can lead to better products, happier teams, and stronger businesses.

The core idea is simple but powerful: don’t waste time building things nobody wants. Start small, learn quickly, and always stay focused on what delivers real value.

Chapter 2 – Build the Thing Right

Why “fast” often means slowing down first

Bob Gower starts this chapter with a familiar and painful scene: a company in chaos, where deadlines are missed, teams are burnt out, and nothing is getting delivered. While business leaders blame the tech team, the real issue is deeper. The product is so fragile and poorly coded that any small change can break it. There’s no automated testing, no clear processes, and developers are too scared to commit to anything. It’s not that they don’t care—it’s that the system is so broken, they can’t promise results. The big insight here is that if you want to move fast, you have to be willing to slow down and invest in doing things right from the beginning.

Quality isn’t a luxury—it’s a survival tool

Trying to “go fast” by cutting corners leads to a slow, painful decline. The real path to agility and innovation is building quality in from the start. That means shifting from inspecting defects after the fact to preventing them altogether. To do this, Gower emphasizes the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and autonomy. Teams that pull their own work and decide together how to solve problems create better outcomes. It’s about collective ownership, not blame. Practices like Test Driven Development (TDD) and automated testing help catch issues early and create a stable system that can evolve with confidence.

The engineering mindset that supports agility

Chris Browne jumps in to explore key Agile engineering practices. He argues that automation is non-negotiable if we want to build things right. Manual tasks—like testing, building, and deploying—are slow, error-prone, and expensive. Automated tests (unit, integration, acceptance, performance) give fast feedback and allow teams to deliver at will. But automation isn’t enough; developers also need to collaborate through practices like pair programming, code reviews, and shared design thinking. Together, these build a solid foundation that supports continuous delivery and innovation.

Scrum vs. Kanban: Different roads to the same goal

Rick Simmons explains how Scrum and Kanban offer two popular but different ways to manage work. Scrum is great when you need structured roles, timeboxes, and clear planning cycles. It’s especially helpful when teams benefit from discipline and rhythm. Kanban, on the other hand, fits environments where work arrives unpredictably or flows through specialized roles. It focuses on visualizing work, limiting work in progress, and improving flow. Both are tools to achieve agility, not rigid systems. Most teams end up mixing elements of both to fit their context.

Agile is a two-way street

Eric Willeke highlights a subtle but critical point: commitment goes both ways. We often ask teams to commit to delivering features, but forget that leadership must commit too—by providing a stable environment, trusting the team, and not constantly changing priorities. Real agility happens when both sides honor their commitments. This trust is what fuels focus, integrity, and delivery.

Let people hack, play, and grow

The chapter also explores less conventional but powerful ideas, like hackathons and play. At Rally Software, developers were given space to experiment, which led to real product improvements. Playing around with code, even without a goal, often led to better understanding and innovation. It’s a reminder that learning and exploration are part of building things right.

Flow, metrics, and the definition of done

Karl Scotland brings it home by explaining flow—the smooth, steady movement of work. Flow isn’t about keeping everyone busy. It’s about finishing small, valuable chunks of work quickly and reliably. That means starting less and finishing more. Metrics play a role too, but only if they drive learning—not fear or manipulation. Finally, Eric Willeke explains why defining “done” is essential. It brings clarity, consistency, and professionalism. When everyone agrees on what “done” means, teams can commit with confidence and build real trust.

The big picture

This chapter makes a strong case that doing the work right—technically, organizationally, and culturally—is what actually enables agility. It’s not just about velocity or shipping faster. It’s about creating a system where quality is built-in, collaboration thrives, and teams can adapt without fear.

Chapter 3 – People, Not Resources

Why treating people like cogs backfires

This chapter dives deep into a truth many companies overlook: if you treat people like resources—interchangeable parts in a machine—you’ll lose the creativity, passion, and brilliance they bring. Bob Gower starts by pointing out the strange paradox in the job market. Companies complain they can’t find great talent, yet talented people often feel stuck in boring, uninspiring jobs. The problem isn’t the lack of talent—it’s that workplaces are often built to drain it. What people really want is meaningful work, autonomy, and a sense of purpose. And when those needs are ignored, even the best employees disengage or burn out.

Create the conditions, then get out of the way

Gower uses a beautiful metaphor from nature—the flocking behavior in birds—to explain how simple rules can create complex, harmonious outcomes. Instead of controlling every move, leaders should build environments where collaboration can flourish naturally. That means shifting away from command-and-control management and toward systems that empower teams to organize themselves. The key ingredients? Consistent, dedicated teams. Radical transparency. Real autonomy. When you set the stage right, trust your people, and let them own their work, the results can be transformative.

Managers aren’t obsolete—they just need to evolve

In a powerful essay, Ann Konkler reflects on how traditional managers often struggle in Agile environments. One VP told her flat-out that he saw no reason to change after 25 years. That mindset, she warns, is dangerous. Agile managers need to let go of outdated control habits and focus on enabling learning and performance. They should remove obstacles, create safe spaces for experimentation, and constantly adjust the system so teams can thrive. Management isn’t about barking orders—it’s about gardening: nurturing growth, shaping the environment, and trusting people to do great work.

The real power of self-organization

Agile embraces the idea of self-organizing teams not because it’s trendy, but because it’s effective. When managers focus on shaping the right “containers” (like team structures), highlighting differences (like diverse skills), and improving “exchanges” (communication flows), they unleash collective intelligence. The result is not chaos, but intelligent, adaptive behavior that matches the complexity of today’s business challenges. Agile leaders don’t disappear—they shift from controlling to supporting.

Culture eats everything

This chapter is also a love letter to culture. Culture is the soil from which all innovation grows. And Agile, at its heart, is about creating cultures where people feel safe to take risks, speak up, and learn from failure. Jean Tabaka makes a compelling case that daring greatly—being vulnerable, empathetic, and open—is essential for meaningful change. Without this, Agile will always be surface-level. Organizations must eliminate shame, fear, and disengagement if they want teams to truly step into their power.

Let people design their own paths

Another powerful idea comes from Rally’s “create your own reality” value. Instead of rigid job roles, they encouraged people to shape their careers based on their passions and strengths. This meant new roles could be created, people could move laterally, and growth was fueled by purpose. When people do work that energizes them, the entire company benefits. It’s not idealism—it’s smart strategy.

Agile is for everyone, not just tech

Jessica Kahn shares how non-technical teams—from marketing to HR—can thrive with Agile practices. Daily standups, retrospectives, Kanban boards, and appreciation rituals helped them focus on value, improve collaboration, and increase employee satisfaction. Agile becomes less about frameworks and more about mindset—a shared commitment to working better, together.

Space, trust, and the human side of Agile

Several essays focus on practical things that often get overlooked—like physical space. Open layouts, co-located teams, and movable furniture can either boost or block collaboration. Mark Kilby and Alex Pukinskis explore how even virtual teams can succeed if they’re built on trust, frequent connection, and shared purpose. Good communication isn’t just about tools—it’s about human relationships. Agile coaches play a big role in helping organizations navigate this terrain, acting as guides who create safe spaces for learning and growth.

The soul of Agile is servant leadership

The chapter ends with a strong message about leadership. Servant leaders don’t chase titles—they focus on helping others succeed. They lead by example, take responsibility, and build trust through consistent, values-driven actions. Agile thrives when leaders put people before power, growth before ego, and relationships before results.

In short, this chapter is the heart of the book. It’s a reminder that Agile isn’t about processes—it’s about people. And when you start treating people like people—not resources—you unlock something powerful: real, sustainable success.

Chapter 4 – Agile Steering

Why planning isn’t about prediction—it’s about preparation

Bob Gower kicks off this chapter with a story many of us know too well: crafting a perfect project plan only to watch it fall apart as soon as reality hits. He describes how his early approach to product management involved trying to predict every detail upfront. But change always came—unexpected questions, shifting requirements, and constant rework. Eventually, he realized that the job isn’t to eliminate uncertainty, but to plan for it. Agile steering is about building systems that are flexible, transparent, and designed to learn and adjust in real time—not to rigidly follow an outdated plan.

The five levels of planning and how they connect

Gower introduces a simple but powerful framework: five levels of planning—vision, roadmap, release, iteration, and daily. The goal is to make sure that what happens each day connects clearly back to the company’s larger vision. But just like electricity loses power in transmission, company goals often get diluted or lost as they trickle down. A disciplined cadence of planning and feedback loops at all levels helps maintain alignment, reduce surprises, and keep energy flowing where it matters most. It’s not about micromanaging; it’s about creating a system where strategy and execution talk to each other.

Transparency and rhythm build smarter organizations

One key idea here is that transparency isn’t optional—it’s essential. Without visibility into the work, people can’t make good decisions. Gower shares how, even when it felt uncomfortable, sharing early drafts of this book helped improve the final result. The same applies to product planning. Agile organizations hold regular planning meetings, even when it feels unnecessary, and they use feedback loops that go both ways—so strategy informs the teams, and team insights shape the strategy.

Steering means collaboration, not control

Ann Konkler continues the chapter with an insightful take on Agile portfolio management. She compares managing a portfolio to driving a car—you can’t just set a course and hit the gas. You have to steer, respond, and adjust constantly. Traditional beliefs about project success (on time, on budget, on scope) don’t guarantee value. Agile steering replaces rigid plans with regular, meaningful feedback and prioritization based on outcomes, not just activity.

She highlights a common trap: starting too many initiatives at once. It’s like filling the road with traffic and then wondering why nothing moves. Agile steering means focusing on fewer things, finishing them faster, and unlocking value sooner. Teams that stay together and focus perform better than those constantly being shuffled around.

Budgeting, burn rate, and funding in an Agile world

Brent Barton brings in the financial perspective with clarity and practicality. Agile doesn’t ignore money—it just encourages smarter use of it. He introduces the concept of burn rate as a key tool: know how much your team costs per month, and compare that to the value you expect to generate. Rather than committing millions up front, Agile teams work in smaller batches with intermediate checkpoints. This allows you to stop or pivot if the value isn’t there—without wasting huge budgets.

He also explores the shift from traditional cost accounting to lean thinking, where value streams guide funding decisions. Instead of asking “How can we spend less?” we ask “What’s the best value we can create with what we’re spending?” It’s a big mindset shift, and a necessary one for real agility.

Scaling agility through structure and cadence

Jim Tremlett outlines how Agile planning scales in large organizations using the same five levels of planning. Release planning becomes a pivotal activity—it turns big-picture vision into concrete plans that multiple teams can act on. He emphasizes that planning is iterative, not one-and-done. Feedback from teams informs the roadmap, and plans are always ready to change when reality demands it.

Ronica Roth builds on this by introducing SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) and the idea of fractal scaling—applying Agile principles across teams, programs, and portfolios. Rather than forming giant teams, organizations add more small teams and sync them through shared cadences and joint planning. Leaders still play a crucial role, but as facilitators of learning and alignment—not as top-down decision-makers.

Seeing the portfolio as a system

Karl Scotland’s contribution introduces Kanban Thinking at the portfolio level. He encourages leaders to see the portfolio as a dynamic system that can be studied, shaped, and improved. He outlines five key levers: studying the work, sharing it visually, limiting work in progress, sensing performance through regular cadences, and learning from feedback. This systems-thinking approach to steering helps organizations focus on flow, value, and long-term capability—not just short-term outputs.

The heartbeat of improvement: retrospectives

Ken Clyne closes the chapter with a reminder that retrospectives are the engine of continuous improvement. Regular reflection helps teams spot what’s working, what’s not, and what to change next. But for this to work, the environment must be safe. Blame kills learning. He reinforces that small, steady improvements are more sustainable than sweeping reforms. The real power comes from building the habit of learning together, little by little.

Contracts, stickies, standups, and celebrations

This chapter wraps with several practical pieces. Michael Ball-Marian explains how Agile contracts can work, even in fixed-bid environments—so long as there’s flexibility in scope and a focus on delivering value early and often. Jeff Ellis shares how something as simple as sticky notes and Sharpies can supercharge collaboration.

André Dhondt demystifies the daily standup as a quick, effective way to coordinate and adjust. And Eric Willeke reminds us that the sprint review is not just about checking boxes—it’s a chance to celebrate progress, gather feedback, and build momentum.

In short, Agile Steering is about staying awake at the wheel. Plans are useful, but not sacred. With the right mindset, regular feedback, and the courage to adapt, organizations can navigate complexity, deliver value, and steer their way through uncertainty—not with rigid control, but with clarity, rhythm, and trust.

Chapter 5 – Transform Your Organization

Culture is the real engine of change

Bob Gower begins this final chapter with a powerful story about Paul O’Neill’s tenure at Alcoa. Instead of focusing on profits, O’Neill chose worker safety as his core metric. His reasoning? If you can shift behavior around safety—a deeply cultural issue—you can transform everything. And he was right: by changing habits and values, Alcoa didn’t just get safer, it became more profitable. Gower uses this to argue that the real goal of Agile isn’t adopting a new process—it’s building a new kind of culture: one rooted in excellence, collaboration, and trust.

Agile tools and practices aren’t magic—they’re mechanisms to support a healthier culture. They help people interact differently, more effectively. When used well, they build visibility, alignment, and feedback loops into everyday work. The point isn’t just better productivity—it’s helping people do meaningful work together.

How change really happens

Gower challenges the two most common strategies for transformation. The top-down “CEO mandate” often fails because it’s slow, expensive, and disconnected from day-to-day reality. The bottom-up “wildfire” approach—change starting with passionate individuals—feels exciting but often burns out when it hits organizational limits. Rally found more success with a middle-out model: forming a collaborative Agile Working Group that brings together functional and project managers. This group sets a vision, runs pilot programs, and adapts based on what works. Change becomes a dynamic, shared responsibility.

Transformation also demands new leadership behaviors. Leaders must become listeners, not controllers. They have to overcome their own fears—of losing control, of uncertainty—and trust their teams more deeply. Often, external coaches help guide this personal shift. And while mindset matters, structure does too. Organizations must look at how they measure success and how they form teams. Metrics that reward busyness or stress do more harm than good. What works? Interdependent, committed teams that hold each other accountable and support each other’s growth.

The Flow-Pull-Innovate map

Ryan Martens introduces a simple map for the Agile journey: Flow → Pull → Innovate. The first step is creating flow in a single team—making sure small batches of work move smoothly from idea to delivery. Then comes pull, where teams start prioritizing based on learning and customer feedback. Eventually, organizations scale these practices across programs and the enterprise. At the final stage—innovate—organizations reinvest some of the capacity they’ve unlocked into experimentation and bold ideas.

Agile doesn’t scale by building giant teams—it scales by multiplying small, cross-functional teams that work in sync. This kind of growth is organic, not forced. The goal isn’t to “do Agile” everywhere, but to build an organization that’s always learning, adapting, and getting better.

Agile transformations must be Agile too

Ronica Roth emphasizes that transforming a company requires the same Agile mindset: learn, iterate, adapt. She outlines four phases—Discovery, Launch, Accelerate, Advance—each with its own focus. Early on, it’s about piloting, learning, and creating momentum. Later, it’s about scaling practices, upgrading infrastructure, and empowering teams to take ownership of continuous improvement. She shares stories of including HR and finance in Agile overviews—small steps that made people feel included, informed, and excited to support the change.

Metrics matter—but not the old kind

Larry Maccherone tackles the tricky subject of Agile measurement. Traditional metrics were built for an old environment where software moved slowly. Today, speed and adaptability matter more than ever. So we need new metrics—ones that reflect outcomes, not just output. He introduces the Software Development Performance Index (SDPI), which balances productivity, quality, responsiveness, predictability, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement. The key is to treat metrics as feedback, not as punishment tools. When used with trust and balance, metrics help teams improve without fear.

Vision and culture drive everything

Liz Andora shares how Rally built its culture on clear values like “Create Your Own Reality” and “Cultivate Trust and Respect.” These values weren’t imposed—they were co-created. The company spotlighted one value each month, invited employees to share stories, and even produced internal videos. The goal was to make values real and lived—not just words on the wall. This culture attracted talent, inspired action, and set the foundation for everything else. Vision and values, she argues, are what create high-performing, self-organizing teams.

Agile isn’t just for developers—it’s for sales too

Brendan Walsh shows how an Agile mindset transformed Rally’s sales team. Before Agile, he had little insight into product timelines or customer feedback loops. After joining Rally, regular demos, predictable releases, and tighter integration with product teams allowed him to make confident commitments to customers. He could sell into a roadmap with credibility—and build trust. Agile turned sales from an isolated function into a core part of the value stream, strengthening collaboration across the organization.

Agile rollout planning and the importance of team launch

The chapter also offers practical advice on launching Agile teams. Ronica Roth outlines a structured Agile Rollout Planning workshop that helps organizations clarify purpose, goals, measures, and a path forward. Tamara Nation then shares a grounded, four-step approach to team launch: lay the groundwork, build the team, create something valuable, and retrospect. Her advice is simple and human—help people feel part of something, keep things transparent, and create early wins.

Navigating waterfall environments with small wins

Steve Lawrence closes the chapter by offering advice for Agile practitioners inside traditional organizations. His key message: pick your battles. Don’t try to change everything at once. Start small, deliver value, and let results speak. He shares how delivering early helped him drop outdated tools like Gantt charts. Agile is a toolbox, and you don’t need every tool to start—you just need to start.

The journey begins with one step

Gower wraps it all up with a reminder that Agile is not a destination—it’s a mindset and a journey. You don’t need to transform everything at once. Just find one next step that matters and take it. That’s where change begins.

4 Key Ideas from Agile Business

6 Main Lessons from Agile Business

My Book Highlights & Quotes

Building the wrong thing not only wastes time and money, it demoralizes the creative, intelligent and in-demand team members who are working on the products, thus making hiring and retention more difficult.

We know Agile is good for business, but we also believe it’s good for people. Agile practices, with their emphasis on problem solving and efficiency, have the potential to help solve some of the toughest problems facing humanity. And we believe Agile is an important part of creating meaningful job opportunities for more people.

Agile principles that help Build the Thing Right are: team empathy for end user, requirements discovery and elaboration methodologies like Scrum or Kanban, local planning—those who do the work, plan the work—and team autonomy to “pull” work at their own pace and coordinate with other teams.

Agile principles that help Build the Thing Right are: team empathy for end user, requirements discovery and elaboration methodologies like Scrum or Kanban, local planning—those who do the work, plan the work—and team autonomy to “pull” work at their own pace and coordinate with other teams.

Conclusion

It’s smart, grounded, and refreshingly honest about the messy, beautiful process of change.

Whether you’re leading a product team, managing a company, or just trying to figure out how to work better with others, this book will give you the clarity and confidence to do it differently.

And maybe that’s the biggest lesson of all: great work isn’t about following a script—it’s about staying close to the truth, learning as you go, and building something that truly matters.

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