Introduction
In the first part of this series, we explored how the Tracks methodology empowers teams through cross-functional collaboration, delivers measurable business impact, and fosters innovation.
In this second part, we’ll dive deeper into the high-level management of Tracks, including how mission statements and resources are reviewed, and how leaders like group managers and track managers balance their responsibilities. We’ll also take a closer look at how innovation is driven through the Discovery mode and how the Tracks methodology supports leadership and strategic decision-making.
Tracks Management Forum and Portfolio Process
The success of the Tracks methodology at Taboola is driven by the careful oversight and resource allocation facilitated by the Tracks Management Forum. This small forum includes VPs and a Sr. Product Director and is responsible for orchestrating the leadership of Tracks, from defining their mission statements to assigning resources.
- Coordinating the Tracks: The Tracks Management Forum ensures that each Track is aligned with Taboola’s broader strategy by defining the mission of each Track, selecting a capable Track Leader, and allocating resources (teams and other assets), which are reviewed and approved by the SVP R&D, VP Product and members of the Senior Executive Team (SET) as part of the portfolio process.
- Portfolio Process for Resource Approval: Resources for Tracks are approved based on a repeated 6-month portfolio process, led by the SVP R&D along with the VP of Product and other members of the SET. This process takes place before the beginning of each year and again mid-year to ensure that Tracks are properly resourced to meet their goals.
The Three “Hats” of Leadership
In Taboola’s tech organisations, leaders wear three distinct “hats” that define their responsibilities:
- People Management: Leaders at all levels—whether team leaders, group managers, or VPs—are responsible for managing the growth and performance of their teams, supporting their professional development, and fostering a positive and productive working environment.
- Project Management: Depending on their role, leaders oversee either smaller tactical projects or large-scale initiatives, ensuring timely delivery and resource alignment.
- Craft (Technical Expertise): Leaders are responsible for maintaining and enhancing the technical expertise within their teams, driving innovation and ensuring high-quality output.
At the team leader level, all three hats—people management, project management, and technical expertise—are worn simultaneously within their own team. This means team leaders are not only responsible for managing their team’s day-to-day performance and professional development but also for driving successful project execution and ensuring a high level of technical proficiency within the team. They play an essential role in fostering a positive, productive working environment.
While team leaders focus on managing the full scope of their teams’ work, group managers in the Tracks structure have a more flexible role, overseeing their teams while allowing certain projects or tasks to be led by other Track Leaders. In the cross-functional model, group managers might lead Tracks while some of their teams are assigned to Tracks led by others. Unlike team leaders, who wear all three hats—people management, project management, and craft—directly within their own teams, group managers in the Tracks structure often do not directly manage the day-to-day tasks or projects of all their teams.
Instead, their role is to ensure that their team members are successful within the Tracks they are assigned to, even when these projects are led by another Track Leader. This includes offering guidance, supporting team leaders, and ensuring their team’s alignment with the broader goals of the Track. This flexibility ensures that the best people are always working on the most impactful projects, regardless of departmental boundaries, while group managers remain responsible for their team’s overall development and performance.
Opportunities for Emerging Leaders
While most of our Tracks are led by managers who already manage a group and are additionally nominated as Track Leaders, we also recognize potential in emerging leaders. In some cases, we nominate managers to lead Tracks even before they become group managers. These are typically leaders who have experience managing teams and demonstrate the capability to drive larger, cross-functional initiatives.
For these emerging leaders, taking on the Track Leader role allows them to focus more on Project Management and Craft—ensuring successful project execution and maintaining high technical standards across their cross-functional teams. Since they are not yet managing organic teams, People Management becomes less central to their role, allowing them to concentrate on driving the Track’s goals and technical outcomes.
This flexibility offers a valuable path for managers to grow into broader leadership roles. By focusing on leading high-impact projects and honing their technical expertise, they gain the experience necessary to eventually balance all three hats—People Management, Project Management, and Craft—as they grow into full group managers in the future.
Note: Similarly, senior Product Managers (PMs) may also take on the Track Leader role as part of their career growth, allowing them to experience the benefits of cross functional management of non-PMs, as described above.
Benefits of the Tracks Methodology for Managers
The Tracks methodology at Taboola offers significant advantages for managers, enhancing their leadership capabilities, improving strategic decision-making, and driving career growth through cross-functional collaboration.
Greater Visibility and Direct Impact on Business KPIs
In the Tracks model, managers hold end-to-end accountability for projects, giving them a direct influence on business outcomes and key performance indicators (KPIs). Successfully leading high-impact Tracks provides increased visibility within the company, opening pathways for career advancement through measurable achievements.
Efficient Resource Management
Tracks provide managers with the flexibility to dynamically allocate resources based on evolving project needs. This approach ensures that the best talent is aligned with the most mission-critical projects, improving overall efficiency and accelerating progress toward business objectives.
Expanding Leadership Across Groups and Departments
Leading a Track means managing cross-functional teams across multiple groups and departments. This experience helps managers develop broader leadership skills, enabling them to handle complex, multi-team initiatives and work effectively beyond the boundaries of their own department.
Driving Innovation and Creativity
The Tracks methodology empowers managers to make strategic decisions and champion a culture of innovation. It encourages calculated risk-taking and experimentation, which is further supported by Discovery Mode—a structured process for exploring uncertain opportunities and testing new concepts (see more on Discovery Mode in the next section). By leading innovative initiatives, managers can foster creative problem-solving across teams.
Strategic Career Growth
Leading high-impact Tracks allows managers to build a robust track record of success, positioning them for further leadership opportunities. In addition to sharpening their project management and technical skills, managers gain valuable insights into broader business objectives, enhancing their ability to align technical execution with business strategy.
Balancing Structure with Leadership Flexibility
The Tracks methodology offers a structured framework for managing leadership responsibilities while remaining adaptable to changing business priorities. This balance of structure and flexibility allows managers to focus on delivering results while adjusting team direction as business needs evolve.
Discovery Mode: Exploring Uncertain Opportunities Within Tracks
While Tracks are typically focused and impact-driven, Taboola also utilises Discovery mode for concepts, projects or sub-projects that need further exploration or research. Discovery allows us to explore opportunities that may not have immediate clarity but show potential worth investigating.
- Exploration with Lower Certainty: Discovery projects allow us to inspect ideas and run Proofs of Concept (POCs) to determine whether they should evolve into a full Track or sub-project.
- Defining Future Tracks: Sometimes, a Discovery phase leads to the establishment of a new Track or the addition of a sub-project to an existing Track. If the potential is significant, Discovery ensures that it receives the attention it deserves.
- Dedicated Resources: Discovery Mode is not a “nice-to-have” or an afterthought; it’s a crucial part of the portfolio process, with dedicated resources allocated to it. This ensures that exploration and validation of new opportunities receive proper attention and are aligned with company goals.
- Flexible Outcomes: Not all Discovery projects move forward, but the process provides a space for safe exploration, minimising risk and ensuring that only the most promising ideas are pursued. By embracing a fail fast approach—described in more detail in Part 3—teams can quickly identify which ideas to pursue and which to discard, minimising resource investment in less viable paths. This approach, rooted in early failure, encourages teams to stop or pivot efforts early when progress becomes uncertain, focusing on alternative strategies that can better achieve impact. This agility allows us to refine concepts early on, ensuring that only the most promising initiatives progress, while mitigating risks and fostering innovation.
Conclusion: Empowering Strategic Leadership and Innovation Through the Tracks Methodology
The Tracks methodology has proven to be a powerful framework at Taboola, empowering managers with the flexibility to lead cross-functional teams, allocate resources efficiently, and drive impactful innovation. By offering a structured yet adaptable approach, Tracks not only help achieve key business outcomes but also provide valuable opportunities for leadership growth across R&D and other departments.
The balance of accountability, ownership, and adaptability equips both managers and teams with the tools needed to navigate complex challenges and deliver results. Through mechanisms like Discovery Mode and the principle of early failure, the methodology ensures that innovation remains a core component of how we operate, enabling us to pivot quickly and focus on high-potential initiatives.
In Part 3, we will further explore the role of Track Leaders, focusing on how they manage cross-functional teams, recognize and act upon early signs of failure, and ensure that their Tracks remain aligned with Taboola’s strategic objectives.