ecoinvent
How do you build product culture from scratch?
ecoinvent runs the world’s largest and most transparent database for sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA). Their data helps organisations model the real world, compare products, and make better environmental decisions.
But when it came to product development, they were just getting started. A brand-new software team had been formed to bring external tooling in-house, but there was no product culture yet, no onboarding, and no shared way of working. Meanwhile, their domain experts (chemists, data analysts, engineers) had years of established practice and deep knowledge.
With so much potential, and so much complexity, ecoinvent asked us to help shape a team and a way of working that could support their next big leap.
How we helped
- Set a shared product vision
There were lots of ideas about the future, but they weren’t all aligned. So we brought everyone together: software, data, legal, comms, operations. We mapped out the perspectives, defined what success looked like, and built a clear vision the whole organisation could get behind. - Designed the team around real user needs
As the team grew rapidly, we worked to structure it around client value. That meant creating clearer focus: separating out supporting teams from delivery teams, and spinning off an innovation squad to explore (and validate) the needs of internal users. - Brought in and coached product leadership
As the team scaled from 12 to 43 people, we didn’t just fill gaps, we helped build for the long term. We hired four product managers, coached one into a lead role, and worked side-by-side with the leadership team on product and team decisions. - Built stronger bridges between software and science
A lot of the product was built to serve the database team: the experts in waste, land use, chemicals, and more. But the software and scientific sides hadn’t developed a shared rhythm yet. We helped bring both groups closer, building better ways to work together and understand each other’s needs.
What changed (and why it matters)
- A fast-growing team with a strong foundation
We helped scale the team from 12 to 43 people, while putting the structures in place to onboard, collaborate, and make decisions with confidence. - A shared product vision that drives focus
By aligning legal, software, comms and domain experts, we created one clear direction, giving OKRs and roadmaps a solid starting point. - Real collaboration between science and software
We bridged the gap between domain experts and engineers, making the daily work smoother and the product stronger across both teams.