#15 Building better roadmaps | Janna Bastow, inventor of "Now, Next, Later" and Founder & CEO at ProdPad
Aug 22, 2024
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Janna Bastow, Co-founder of Mind the Product and CEO of ProdPad, shares her insights on effective product management. She discusses the creation of her popular roadmap framework, Now, Next, Later, spotlighting the importance of flexibility and user feedback. The conversation delves into how roadmaps can align with OKRs for strategic success and the significance of reflective practices in product teams. Janna also highlights the role of AI in reshaping product management, stressing the need for critical thinking and adaptability in this evolving landscape.
The Now Next Later framework emphasizes flexibility and uncertainty in roadmapping, allowing product teams to focus on strategic direction rather than strict timelines.
Product managers should prioritize collaboration and stakeholder engagement to better understand market needs and refine product strategies iteratively.
AI's integration into product management is set to automate routine tasks, freeing product managers to concentrate on strategic initiatives and effective communication.
Deep dives
Role of the Product Manager
The product manager's primary role is to engage with various stakeholders to uncover problems, opportunities, and challenges, rather than simply dictating a predetermined roadmap. They should facilitate discussions, ask the right questions, gather insights, and integrate feedback into the product strategy. This collaborative approach fosters a deeper understanding of customer needs and market dynamics, ultimately enhancing the product development process. By utilizing the roadmap as a prototype for the strategy, product managers can iteratively refine their plans based on stakeholder input.
The Now Next Later Framework
The Now Next Later framework, developed by Jana Bastow, provides a fresh perspective on product road mapping by emphasizing uncertainty over strict timelines. It categorizes initiatives into three buckets: 'Now' for current tasks, 'Next' for near-term priorities, and 'Later' for longer-term aspirations. This approach allows product teams to focus more on strategic direction rather than being bogged down by rigid schedules. By doing so, teams can remain flexible and adjust their paths based on ongoing discoveries and insights.
Challenges of Traditional Roadmaps
Traditional roadmaps, often rigid and deadline-focused, can hinder innovation and responsiveness within teams. Executives may find comfort in these static frameworks; however, the lack of flexibility may lead to poor business decisions and a slower reaction to market changes. Companies that prioritize predictability over exploration risk falling behind competitors that are willing to invest in research and development. A shift towards a more dynamic and exploratory roadmap culture can foster better alignment with user needs and market demands.
Long-Term Company Sustainability
Every company faces eventual decline, often driven by a lack of adaptability and short-term thinking. Organizations may prioritize immediate financial returns, resulting in complacency that stifles innovation. It is crucial for leaders to foster a culture that values long-term sustainability and encourages investments in new ideas and strategies. By recognizing that every company will eventually face challenges, leaders can better prepare their organizations to adapt and find new paths for growth.
Impact of AI on Product Management
The emergence of AI tools is set to revolutionize product management by automating mundane tasks and providing intelligent insights. As AI takes on administrative responsibilities, product managers can concentrate on strategic thinking and stakeholder communication. Utilizing AI to generate user stories, analyze user feedback, and streamline OKR creation can significantly lighten the workload for product teams. Embracing these technologies will be essential for product professionals who wish to remain relevant and effective in an increasingly automated landscape.
Janna is the Co-founder of Mind the Product - the world’s largest product community - Founder & CEO at ProdPad, and the inventor of the widely adopted roadmap framework “Now, Next, Later”
There’s so much Janna and I could have talked about but we focused on what great roadmaps look like, and the future of product management.
We discussed:
* The story behind how Now Next Later was invented, from idea to widely spread roadmap framework
* Different ways to frame your roadmap based on your context
* Using roadmaps, written narratives, and OKRs together
* Roadmapping experiments
* Designing roadmaps in ways that enable you to revisit what you've done and measure your outcomes
* Roadmaps best practices
* Why all companies will eventually die and what we can do about it
* The Future of Product Management
* How will AI impact both the role of Product and the products we build
* And more
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit afonsofranco.substack.com
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