My Roadmap Traps Me, What Should I Do?
How do you connect to the following?
Meeting deadlines is what success means
Roadmaps pressure teams to deliver a list of features
Wishes from stakeholders define roadmaps
Product teams have little to no influence in crafting roadmaps
The more often you face the above, the less value you can create.
You’ve got an important choice to make. You can either bow to the status quo and accept its result or challenge it and give yourself a chance at a better future.
What Can You Do Today For a Better Tomorrow?
Don’t let the status quo block you. Believe me. Small changes can lead to outstanding transformations. It’s just a matter of starting. Let me give you some simple ideas.
#1 Start Small
The bigger the change, the more resistance you face. Moving from a dysfunctional roadmap to an empowering one won’t happen from one day to the other.
Try creating space to work differently. Talk to your leadership and invite them to run an experiment with the next roadmap. Ask for 10% or 20% of the time to solve a critical business problem.
Make the risk as small as possible. People are willing to support things where they can accept failure.
#2 Picture a Promising Future and Extend Your Hand
Share the differences between outcome and output roadmaps.
Outcome roadmaps empower people to use their creativity. Just look at Netflix, Airbnb, Uber, Amazon, and others. They disrupted markets by empowering people.
On the other hand, an output roadmap limits teams and increases the chances of fatal failures. Just look at Kodak, Blockbuster, Nokia, and others.
Ask your leadership which future they want to have. Hopefully, they will make the right choice :)
#3 Read Between the Lines
Sometimes you’ve got to be a rebel. Instead of blindly following roadmaps, uncover the problem the feature is supposed to solve. Then, reflect on what’d be the best way of solving it.
Do what makes sense for your customers. Don’t be afraid of getting into a bit of trouble with your boss. Be afraid of creating features nobody needs.
A Question for You
What holds you back from trying something different with roadmaps from tomorrow on?