This article is based on Ilaria’s appearance at the virtual Product Operations Festival in 2024.

Maximizing the potential of small teams is crucial for driving significant impact in any organization. 

I'm Ilaria Caputo, Director of Product Operations at Electronic Arts, specifically working with the ADP, our digital platform that powers all the games you know from EA. 

Today, I want to talk about something that's close to my heart: small teams with big goals. Because I know from experience that product operations teams are often a one-woman or one-man show, or they consist of very small teams. 

But here's the thing: even though we may be small, we are often tasked with delivering big results and achieving ambitious goals. This is where our resourcefulness comes into play.

To break it down, I’ll be taking you through three key pillars:

  1. Shape - You can break the mold
  2. Own - Make it yours
  3. Communicate - No junk drawers, thanks 

Each of these pillars is crucial for maximizing the impact of your team, even when resources are limited.

Let's dive in.

Small teams can achieve big goals

One of the misconceptions I hear often is that small teams, or even a single individual, can't have a big impact. That couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Whether you’re part of a tech company, a non-tech business, or somewhere in between, the size of your product operations team doesn’t limit the scale of your influence. What really matters is your ability to plan strategically and set a clear vision that aligns with your organization’s broader goals.

You might not always hit the final mark, but even getting close to your goal can make a huge difference. This is important because, honestly, many people just go through their workdays, weeks, or even years without making a significant impact on their organization. That’s not what we want as product ops teams. 

Our goal is to leave the organization in a better state than when we arrived. Even if you’re a small team, achieving that makes all the difference.