Sometime in December last year, I spoke with a project lead in the crypto space who faced a common challenge: their product, marketing, and sales teams weren’t aligned. Each team operated independently, resulting in mixed messages, missed opportunities, and frustrated team members.
This isn’t uncommon, especially in fast-paced crypto environments. But when alignment is off, growth slows down.
Here’s how it was fixed, based on my experience and observations:
Understanding Why Silos Form
Teams often silo because:
- They have different goals and incentives.
- Communication between departments is unclear or infrequent.
- No shared processes or tools exist for collaboration.
Steps to Align Your Teams
1. Shared Goals and Clear Metrics:
- Create unified goals that involve all three teams.
- Define clear metrics everyone can track together. For example, monthly active users or onboarding rates.
Example: A DeFi protocol I know set a single target: user growth by 20%. Each team understood how their efforts contributed directly.
2. Regular Cross-Team Meetings:
- Schedule weekly or bi-weekly syncs involving all three teams.
- Discuss ongoing projects, blockers, and opportunities openly.
3. Centralized Documentation and Tools:
- Use shared tools like Notion or ClickUp.
- Ensure easy access to plans, product updates, marketing calendars, and sales materials.
Maintaining Alignment Long-Term
This requires ongoing conversations and adjustments. Teams need to frequently ask each other, “What’s working? What isn’t? How can we improve?”
Regularly revisiting these questions in open conversations helps reinforce shared objectives and keeps everyone aligned. Celebrate cross-team wins publicly to maintain motivation and ensure teams remain connected.
Let me know if this was helpful in the comments.