By Marty Cagan · svpg.com · LinkedIn
This essay, the third in a series on meaningful transformation, argues that companies must change how they choose which problems to solve, not just how they build or solve them. It moves beyond feature roadmaps toward outcome-based roadmaps, then describes a customer-driven product vision that guides teams over 3-10 years. A product strategy identifies the few most critical problems to tackle now, grounded in quantitative and qualitative insight rather than reacting to sales, competitors, or requests. Product leaders then assign those problems to teams via objectives, and their coaching is essential to the transformation.
01Key takeaways
- Convert feature roadmaps into outcome-based roadmaps by identifying the underlying problem and a clear success measure for each item.
- Ground the product vision in how it improves customers' lives, not in revenue or quarterly priorities.
- Focus on a few critical focus areas, accepting that saying no to good ideas is part of strategy.
- Build product strategy from quantitative data and qualitative customer insight, separate from business and go-to-market strategy.
- Assign problems to teams through objectives based on their skills, areas, technology, and data.
- Invest in product leadership, since many feature-team companies lack it entirely.
02Key sections
- Outcome-based roadmaps
- Converting feature roadmaps into problem-and-outcome roadmaps is a simple first step. The authors question whether those problems are truly the most important ones to solve.
- Customer-driven product vision
- Strong product companies are driven by a long-term vision of improving customers' lives rather than by reactive pressures. The vision unites teams and attracts people who want to make a difference.
- Insight-driven product strategy
- Strategy narrows focus to a few critical areas and selects the insights to bet on, drawing on data and customer conversations. It is distinct from business and go-to-market strategy, which many feature-team companies lack.
- Team objectives
- Product leaders assign the quarter's critical problems to teams based on their areas, skills, technology, and data access, and teams then discover and deliver solutions.
- The role of product leadership
- Many companies discover large gaps in product leadership, not just in individual roles. Leaders must coach people and drive changes in how problems are chosen, solved, and built.
03From the post
“A partnership dedicated to teaching best practices to product teams and product leaders”
04Frameworks mentioned
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.