Category: Strategy/Metrics/Roadmaps

5 Critical Checkpoints on the Product Roadmap

Product Management Today Best Article

On any road, there are the usual sign markers showing useful information, locations for services, and sometimes, checkpoints set up by law enforcement authorities. These checkpoints are intended to ensure compliance, e.g., sobriety, seat belts, or in other situations to reroute traffic due to hazardous conditions ahead, e.g., rock slides, excessive flooding and snow, and so on. Bottomline, the purpose of a checkpoint is to ensure that we are equipped for our onward journey, that it continues to be safe, and we get to our destination without too much unplanned adventure.

The Product Roadmap is a similar journey in its own right. What checkpoints should we have to inspect if the journey continues on its planned route, or take detours as necessary? Continue reading “5 Critical Checkpoints on the Product Roadmap” →

What will Move the Needle? Leading vs Lagging Indicators

It’s that time of the year when most companies with fiscal year starting January 1st are engaged in or done with their 2015 planning – bookings forecasts, budgets for investments and personnel, at the company level and broken down by business units and major product lines. It starts with defining what success means and translating that into specific initiatives and actions to achieve it. It is also the time of the year when people usually start to think about their new year resolutions, and dropping a few pounds is always a perennial favorite. It is time to figure out what will move the needle in 2015. Continue reading “What will Move the Needle? Leading vs Lagging Indicators” →

The Real Reason Facebook Had to Spend $19B

A lot has been written about the big $19B acquisition of Whatsapp by Facebook. My intent is not to write specifically about the acquisition and its merits, or critique it, or debate if the price was too high or too low. Instead, I wanted to share some thoughts about why Facebook finds itself in this position of having to acquire young upstart companies for insane amounts of money. What has brought Facebook to this point? Will its next acquisition cost Facebook much more than $19B? Continue reading “The Real Reason Facebook Had to Spend $19B” →

Product Strategy & Architecture

I gave a talk at the Product Professionals Event in Bangalore on Nov 12, 2011.  Bangalore being home to many well-known high-tech companies with large engineering organizations, I decided to talk about what connects product strategy and architecture.  These terms, product strategy and architecture, are dear at heart to every product manager and his or her engineering team.

Continue reading “Product Strategy & Architecture” →