How DevProd teams got funded: 20 real-world examples

As developer productivity becomes a strategic priority, engineering leaders face a key decision: when to form a dedicated developer productivity team.

This report examines how 20 companies—including DoorDash, Yelp, and Disney—built DevProd teams, the pain points that drove their formation, and the projects that secured executive buy-in.

From pain points to funded solutions

Successful DevProd teams begin with a high-impact project solving an acute, visible issue. More than 30% started with CI/CD improvements, addressing bottlenecks that slow delivery. Other common triggers include improving documentation, developer environments, and cycle times.

Strategies that secured executive buy-in

The most effective funding strategies tackled widely felt friction points or initiatives with clear executive value. Lattice launched Project Aspirin to address accumulated technical debt, reassigning engineers who later became permanent team members. ThoughtSpot containerized its application to enable cloud-agnostic development, improving workflows while opening strategic business opportunities.

Practical blueprints for getting started

No two DevProd journeys are identical, but patterns emerge from these real-world examples. Successful teams start with projects that solve immediate developer pain while demonstrating tangible business impact.

Whether at 40 engineers like Mercury or 15,000 like Disney, the report offers helpful insight into the timing, projects, and early strategies for forming DevProd teams.