UnSAFe at Any Speed

Welcome and Introductions

Tom Evans | 00:00–03:00
Hi everyone, and welcome to today’s Productside webinar, “UnSAFe at Any Speed: Why Enterprise Product Development is Headed for a Crash.” I’m Tom Evans, your host for today’s session, and I’m thrilled to have you all with us.

We’ve got a huge turnout for this one—which isn’t surprising. If you’ve ever been part of a big product organization trying to scale agility and found yourself wondering, “Why does it still feel so slow?”, this one’s for you.

Dean Peters | 03:00–04:00
Thanks, Tom! Hey everyone—great to be here. I’m Dean Peters, longtime product leader, recovering engineer, and currently senior advisor here at Productside. Today we’re going to talk about what happens when frameworks designed for speed actually start creating friction—and what to do about it.

About Productside and Today’s Discussion

Tom Evans | 04:00–06:00
For those new to Productside, we’re an outcome-driven product partner helping teams align strategy, structure, and systems to deliver real business impact.

Today we’ll unpack what’s gone wrong with enterprise agility, why the SAFe framework often backfires, and what healthy scaling actually looks like in 2025 and beyond. You’ll hear stories, examples, and some practical steps for rethinking how your teams work.

The Promise and the Problem of SAFe

Dean Peters | 06:00–10:30
Let’s start with the obvious: SAFe was born with good intentions. It was supposed to help big organizations be as nimble as startups—aligning business strategy with execution. The problem is that it often replaces bureaucracy with… new bureaucracy.

The heart of product agility isn’t process—it’s empowerment. SAFe tries to scale control; great teams scale *context.*

Poll #1 – Which Framework Fails Frustrate You Most?

Tom Evans | 10:30–12:00
Let’s do a quick poll: which framework failures frustrate you the most? Overly rigid processes, endless meetings, unclear ownership, or misaligned incentives?

Dean Peters | 12:00–12:40
Looks like “unclear ownership” takes the lead. And that’s no surprise—most of these frameworks forget that clarity isn’t just about who does what, but who decides *why*.

The Myth of Alignment

Dean Peters | 12:40–17:00
Enterprises love the word “alignment.” It sounds clean, structured, efficient. But too often, alignment is mistaken for agreement. Real alignment is about shared outcomes, not forced consensus.

In SAFe implementations, we often see teams spending more time aligning *on paper* than creating value *in practice.*

Velocity Theater

Dean Peters | 17:00–22:30
Here’s another trap—velocity theater. Leadership demands faster delivery, so teams inflate velocity metrics or cut quality to hit arbitrary goals. It’s a performance, not progress.

Healthy velocity is about learning cycles, not lines of code. If your velocity chart looks great but morale is down, you’re scaling dysfunction.

Poll #2 – How Many Frameworks Has Your Company Tried?

Tom Evans | 22:30–24:00
Poll time—how many frameworks has your company implemented in the past five years? One, two, three, or “I lost count”?

Dean Peters | 24:00–25:00
(Laughs) I see a lot of “I lost count.” That’s the framework carousel—each new acronym promises salvation but ends up adding layers of abstraction.

When Process Outruns Purpose

Dean Peters | 25:00–30:30
The real danger isn’t bad process—it’s process without purpose. I’ve seen teams spend entire quarters optimizing stand-ups while ignoring customer outcomes. If your rituals outnumber your results, it’s time for a reset.

The Rise of Product Ops and Context Scaling

Dean Peters | 30:30–36:00
The antidote to heavy frameworks isn’t chaos—it’s *context scaling.* That’s where Product Operations comes in. Product Ops doesn’t manage people; it manages systems for clarity—aligning data, tools, and rituals so PMs can focus on strategy, not spreadsheets.

When done right, Product Ops turns alignment from a meeting into a mindset.

Poll #3 – Does Your Org Have a Product Ops Function?

Tom Evans | 36:00–37:30
Let’s check—does your organization have a Product Ops function today? Options: Yes, No, or Not sure.

Dean Peters | 37:30–38:00
About 60% say “Not sure.” That’s common. Many teams are *doing* Product Ops without calling it that—they’ve just embedded it under PM or strategy.

Autonomy vs. Alignment: The False Dichotomy

Dean Peters | 38:00–43:00
People often frame autonomy and alignment as opposites. They’re not. Alignment without autonomy is micromanagement; autonomy without alignment is anarchy. The magic happens in the middle—when teams share clear goals and have the freedom to choose *how* to reach them.

The Future of Scaling Product Work

Dean Peters | 43:00–48:00
We’re entering a new era of scaling—powered by AI and outcomes. Instead of massive frameworks, companies are shifting to lightweight operating systems. Think adaptive, not prescriptive. The next evolution is product-led *context* scaling—connecting decisions to data and outcomes in real time.

Poll #4 – What’s Your Biggest Scaling Challenge?

Tom Evans | 48:00–49:30
Quick check—what’s your biggest scaling challenge right now? Culture, clarity, tooling, or leadership?

Dean Peters | 49:30–50:00
“Clarity” wins, followed by “leadership.” Makes sense—those two feed each other. The best frameworks don’t replace leadership; they make it visible.

From Frameworks to Fundamentals

Dean Peters | 50:00–55:00
At Productside, we’ve helped dozens of enterprises drop heavy frameworks and return to fundamentals—shared outcomes, small teams, and feedback loops. Scaling doesn’t mean adding layers; it means amplifying what works and removing what doesn’t.

Case Study – UnSAFe to Unstoppable

Dean Peters | 55:00–59:00
One of my favorite transformations was a global bank that abandoned SAFe ceremonies and replaced them with a single-page product charter. Teams used AI to update progress weekly and share context asynchronously. They shipped 30% faster within two quarters. Less process, more progress.

Poll #5 – How Do You Feel About Frameworks Now?

Tom Evans | 59:00–01:00:00
Final poll—how do you feel about frameworks now? Still helpful, ready to move on, or “burn it all down”?

Dean Peters | 01:00:00–01:01:00
(Laughs) A lot of “move on” and a few “burn it downs.” Fair enough. Frameworks should serve the team, not the other way around.

Q&A and Closing Remarks

Tom Evans | 01:01:00–01:05:00
Let’s do a few quick questions before we wrap. One from Priya: “If your company already invested in SAFe, how do you unwind it?” Dean?

Dean Peters | 01:05:00–01:07:00
Great question. You don’t need a revolution—just evolution. Start by mapping which rituals drive value and which are overhead. Gradually shift from ceremony to outcomes. It’s like a diet—you can’t cut everything overnight.

Tom Evans | 01:07:00–01:09:00
Perfect way to put it. Thank you, Dean—and thank you to everyone who joined. You’ll get the replay, resources, and frameworks in your inbox tomorrow.

Dean Peters | 01:09:00–01:10:00
Keep scaling wisely, friends. Thanks everyone—see you next time!