cross-functional-collaboration

SKILL.md

Navigate cross-functional friction using frameworks from 57 product leaders at Linear, Airbnb, and similar companies.

Diagnose collaboration issues by identifying whether the root cause is role clarity, communication patterns, or structural misalignment

Apply core principles including credit sharing, "Yes, and" thinking, written role expectations, and direct stakeholder-engineer connections to reduce handoff friction

Build the product trio (PM, designer, engineer) as the core decision-making unit, resolving disagreements through data and better options rather than hierarchy

Emphasize human relationship-building alongside process design, including personal connection, early engineer involvement in discovery, and working daily with the same engineering team

Cross-functional Collaboration

Help the user work effectively across functions using frameworks from 57 product leaders who have built high-performing cross-functional teams at companies from Linear to Airbnb.

How to Help

When the user asks for help with cross-functional collaboration:

Diagnose the friction - Identify whether the issue is role clarity, communication patterns, or structural

Clarify expectations - Help define what each function expects from the others

Design the right structure - Recommend team composition and meeting rhythms

Build relationships - Emphasize the human elements that make collaboration work

Core Principles

Share credit generously

Camille Fournier: "Engineers sometimes think that they don't get the credit for their work because the PM takes all the glory. So making every effort to be credit sharing and inclusive of the engineering team." Let engineers present their own work to executives and customers.