TEI 169: How to make product roadmaps not dangerous

Global Product Management Talk is pleased to bring you the next
episode of... The Everyday Innovator with host Chad McAllister,
PhD. The podcast is all about helping people involved in innovation
and managing products become more successful, grow their careers,
and STANDOUT from their peers. About the Episode: My 12-year
old  son recently got a belt sander.  My son is making a
bookshelf and has a lot of sanding to do. The belt sander will do
the work quickly. It is the right tool for the job, but only if it
is used properly. The powerful motor and rapidly moving belt also
makes it a beast. If it is not properly handled, it can do a lot of
damage to the person using it and anything around it. I showed my
son how to use it correctly and we discussed what can happen if he
doesn’t use it the way he should. That is the thing with powerful
tools. Used properly they are a valuable aid. Used incorrectly,
they can cause a lot of pain and turmoil. Road Mapping The same
applies to a frequent tool product managers use — the product
roadmap. The traditional use of a roadmap nearly guarantees that
product managers will get damaged in some way, like mishandling a
belt sander. Think about it. A roadmap requires you to keep your
promise even after you have learned that the planned features are
no longer needed. Well, at least you kept your promise, but you
built the wrong thing. Or, you do the right thing and not add
features, breaking your promise you made by putting them on the
roadmap. While the roadmap is one of the most frequently used tools
by product managers, it is also one of the most unsafe. But, the
traditional way of using roadmaps doesn’t have to continue. To
discuss how they should be used, the author of “Product Roadmaps
Relaunched: How to Set Direction while Embracing Uncertainty,”
Bruce McCarthy joins us.