The state of product development 2026
How culture shapes product success
The product behind the product
Every successful digital product has two stories. One is about what it does for the user. The other is about how it was created. This report focuses on that second story.
At Framna, we believe that the way a product is built defines the impact it can have. Behind every clean interface and every reliable feature sits a series of choices. How teams work together. How decisions are made. How goals are set. These choices form the operating system behind the product. They determine whether teams move with confidence or struggle against unnecessary friction.
To understand how product teams operate today, we asked hundreds of product professionals at Future Product Days to share how they work. They told us how decisions are made inside their organizations, how their culture influences their progress, and what stands in the way of better outcomes. With around 350 responses from different industries and company sizes, the survey reveals a clear picture of the state of product development in 2025. It shows how culture often shapes performance long before a product reaches the market.
The responses reflect a wide span of organizational sizes, from small teams that move quickly to large enterprises with multiple layers of structure and complexity.
This variety helps highlight the different pressures teams face. Smaller companies often have freedom and speed but limited capacity. Larger companies benefit from reach and resources but must navigate alignment, governance, and legacy systems.
Q3: Organization size
This chart shows the wide range of company sizes represented in the survey. The spread highlights how teams of different scales face very different pressures and priorities.
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Provided by framna
A diverse range of industries also took part. Technology and software companies were strongly represented, but substantial input came from finance, transportation, consumer services, retail, and the public sector.
Even with different markets, regulations, and expectations, many of the underlying cultural patterns turned out to be surprisingly similar.
Across all of these perspectives, one theme stands out. Product culture is no longer a background factor. It shapes the direction of work, the quality of decisions, and the ability to deliver meaningful results. In many ways, it is the story behind every successful product.
Q6: Industry breakdown
Respondents come from a broad mix of industries, with especially strong representation from technology, finance, and consumer services. This diversity provides a balanced view of modern product practices.
Provided by framna
Provided by framna