Delivering a roadmap under a tight deadline
and survive

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What happened this week?

First, we’ve added a new section at the bottom of the email for interesting picks we found to further accelerate your growth. Check them out!

Now, in today's edition, we'll discuss a common challenge faced by new Product Managers starting in companies or in new teams that are not "Product-Led" at their core.

Many of these companies or bosses expect a roadmap as the first deliverable from a new PM shortly after starting (which is crazy!), leaving little time for due diligence. If you've been in this situation, you're not alone. We'll explore how PMs can navigate such scenarios.

Today's spotlights

1. 7-Steps to deliver this roadmap under pressure and look good

2. Key Takeaways to keep

3. Weekly Picks

Let's dive in.

In my LinkedIn DMs, I often receive messages like this:

"I just joined a company, and the founder/CTO/GM wants me to create a product roadmap in the next 3 weeks. How am I supposed to do this?"

PMs face challenges in user research, design, prioritization, and shipping, often with assumptions of ideal conditions. There's debate on roadmaps—some argue they turn teams into requirement managers, while others say they should follow a clear vision and strategy.

Rather than being paralyzed, take action. I once had to create a roadmap and product strategy in just 4 weeks. Despite this imperfect condition, it guided us to a successful product launch six months later. This post outlines unconventional tactics I used, and I recognize that they may challenge traditional views in chaotic situations.

Step 1: Preliminary Research

Before diving into tasks or addressing customer tickets, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with the organization's key materials, such as the sales deck, product marketing website, vision and mission statement, townhall recording, user testimonials, and domain-related knowledge.

This initial step is vital for grasping high-level concepts, understanding the core value proposition, and familiarizing yourself with industry jargon before moving on to the listening tour.

Step 2: Create a Design Workspace

Establish a Google sheet to consolidate customer problems and opportunities.

Include columns such as:

• Goal Theme (high-level initiative goals),

• Roadmap Item (brief problem description or intended solution),

• Backstory (rationale or evidence supporting the need, including direct quotes)

• Key Metric (key metric affected)

• Source (where the item originated)

• Dependency (other items it relies on)

• Priority (High, Low, Medium),

• Timeframe (Now, Next, Later, Never).

This centralized space will streamline the processing of information as it comes. Trust me, you need that ‘skeleton guide’ or you’ll be lost!

Step 3: Conduct a Listening Tour

Now, this phase is CRUCIAL. Remember, you have no history. To build rapport, you need this.

Gather insights from key team members to understand the problem and align perspectives. Here's a short list of individuals to engage in 1:1 discussions:

• Manager

• Engineering Lead

• Design Lead

• Marketing Lead

• Sales and Pre-sales Lead

• Customers

• Customer Success Lead

Adapt based on your org structure. Even if one person covers multiple roles, it works. Identify and be flexible.

However, the challenge lies in asking the right questions. This step is vital for gathering clues to shape your roadmap and establish foundational pillars (the next step).

Sample questions for some stakeholders:

Qs for the Manager:

• Ask about the company's vision and existing strategy.

  • Short-term and long-term business goals tied to the product.

  • Competitive advantages and why we win, why we lose

  • Key performance indicators (KPIs) or North Star if any

Qs for the Engineering Lead (or CTO)

1. Who decides what to ship today? (Assuming you’re the first PM)

2. How scalable is our current architecture for future features or enhancements?

3. Any quick wins? What technical debt is most urgent to address?

You get the gist…

Step 4: Analyze the Market

Delve into industry landscape and assess how you compare to competitors.

• Look for industry reports on macro trends and buying factors. Explore why people buy, the buying process, and potential market-changing trends. E.g Use platforms like G2 to evaluate top competitors

• Conduct feature-by-feature comparisons and explore demo videos. Test your own product thoroughly and identify core strengths.

• Add differentiating opportunities to your Design Workspace that capitalize on competitors' weaknesses.