Understanding Roadmaps: Communication vs. Planning in Product Development

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Now, back to the challenges of crafting roadmaps.

How helpful is a product roadmap?

It can be your key to boosting value or your free ticket to a feature factory. Sadly, the latter is more common than it should be.

In this episode, Kareem Mayan, Co-Founder of Savio, and I talked about this challenge and how you can act to stop bad roadmaps. The conversation is honest and insightful! Listen to it to rock the product world!

This is a candid conversation where Kareem walks us through the biggest pitfalls of traditional product roadmaps and shows how to base every delivery decision on customer needs.

We talk about understanding the real problem instead of jumping into solutions, collaborating closely with developers for impactful results, and how data-backed insights help product teams say “no” to distractions. If you’re done delivering half-baked features that nobody uses, this podcast is your guide on taking back control of the roadmap and driving real value — 45 minutes of pure gold.

If you’re too busy to listen to it. Here are the main lessons:

* From Features to OutcomesDon’t let feature requests fool you—uncover the real problems behind them. A “blue button” request might actually mean a “TV mode” solution.

* Talk to Customers, ALWAYSWhen in doubt, reach out. Every conversation with a user is a golden chance to refine the real “why” behind what you’re building.

* Evidence Over OpinionsArm yourself with data—usage stats, customer feedback, revenue impact—so you can stand firm when a CEO or HIPPO demands random features.

* Co-Create with DevelopersGreat devs need context, not tickets. Shift from spoon-feeding tasks to partnering with engineers who can bring unique insights to drive value.

* Prototype to ProveBefore sinking weeks of dev time, create quick tests or mocks to see if your idea is worth the investment. Let real users shape the direction.

* Empathy > Pitch DecksMake stakeholders feel the user’s pain. Show them calls, user tests, or first-hand experiences so they “get it” and support better decisions.

* ROI Is the Bottom LineRemember: every line of code costs money. If your feature won’t drive outcomes (in revenue, retention, or user delight), rethink the bet.

Here’s how you can find more about Kareem:

* LinkedIn

* Savio

Let’s rock the product world together!

Whenever you’re ready, I can help you boost your career

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