Scared Companies Stop Innovating
Inspired by on Lenny's Podcast
You found something that works - the routine, the approach, the bribe. Now you're terrified to change anything. But the kid has changed. You have to change too.
Marty Cagan on what happens when companies get scared: 'The product teams are scared, the executives are scared. And the reason they're scared is because they don't know what is essential and what is incidental.'
The result? They stop innovating. 'All they're doing is little low risk Optimizely A/B tests. They're just tweaking.'
Parents get scared the same way. You found something that works - the bedtime routine, the discipline approach, the way you handle tantrums. You're terrified to change it. What if you break the thing that's working?
But kids change. What worked at 2 doesn't work at 4. The world changes. YOU change.
A little tweaking is fine. But if fear is keeping you from real adaptation - trying genuinely new approaches, responding to who your child is NOW - you're slowly becoming obsolete.
'Once they stop doing real discovery, to me, it's just the beginning of the end.'
Don't let fear freeze you in place. The old playbook worked for the old kid. This is a new kid now.
PM Theme: Innovation / fear of change
Parenting Theme: Adapting as children grow
“The product teams are scared, the executives are scared. And the reason they're scared is because they don't know what is essential and what is incidental. They're scared they're going to hurt the thing that's fueling the business.”Marty Cagan · 21:59
“I can tell because all they're doing is little low risk, Optimizely A/B tests. They're just tweaking. And again, there's nothing wrong with that, but those things will not innovate.”Marty Cagan · 21:59
