Combining Roles Problem and Solution Space
Question: Are there are more advantages to combining the responsibilities and roles in the problem and the solution space than in separating them?
No. The disadvantages outweigh the benefits of combining problem and solution space roles and responsibilities into one person or department.
The advantages of combining roles in one person are fewer salaries, faster communication, and less conflict.
The disadvantages are gravitating skills and monopolization of activities in favor of the solution space.
Combining roles from the problem and the spaces will manifest in neglecting the problem space and overly focusing on the solution.
The outcome is often an unneeded solution and features looking for a problem or need.
The advantages of combining roles into one department, co-located or virtual, are centralized coordination and oversight, quicker conflict resolution, and possibly faster communication.
However, better communication and collaboration are not guaranteed.
Often, the large product department splinters into ghost teams of people from the same domain (UX, Product Management, Product Development, etc.), with some alienation.
The person managing this team is often technical and will prefer the developers. As a result, a power struggle over the product and management favors will ensue.