Why Are You Roadmapping?

Wendy Johansson / Product School / September 7, 2016

Why Are You Roadmapping?

@UXWENDY

And how to be the most amazing product manager ever.

ABOUT ME• Head of Product & UX @ Wizeline

• Cognitive Science @ UC San Diego

• UX before you UXed

• Start-up aficionado: Veoh, Loopt,

Ooyala, AppNexus, Wizeline

#1 Thing to Do to be the Most Amazing Product

Manager Ever

Solve problems.Don’t build features.

FEATURES PROBLEMS• Are dictated solutions

• Don’t try to understand the user’s

core problem

• Prescribe solutions for engineers

and UX designers to execute

• Lead to lack of ownership

• Force you, the PM, to take a user-

oriented mindset

• Help the team focus on holistic

problems instead of point solutions

• Allow the team to solve problems

together

FEATURE PROBLEM• “Software for your taxes” • “Prepare my taxes”

FEATURE PROBLEM

Source: Intercom: Criticism and Two Way Streets

3 Questions to Ask as the Most Amazing Product

Manager Ever

SLIDE

ASK ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU BUILD:

1. What problem are you solving?

2. Who are you solving it for?

3. How will you measure success?

SLIDE

1. What problem are you solving? => value prop

2. Who are you solving it for? => target market

3. How will you measure success? => business model

=> context for your cross-functional team members

ASK ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU BUILD:

BURBN

October 2010, a new app for you to:

• Check-in

• Make plans (future check-ins)

• Gamify hanging w/ friends

• Share photos and videos

• AND MORE!

BURBN

What problem was Burbn solving?

Who were they solving it for?

What was success?

Success was “figuring out what stuck”

5 More Questions to Ask as the Most Amazing Product

Manager Ever

ASK 'WHY' FIVE TIMES ABOUT EVERY MATTER• Part of Toyota’s “continuous improvement”

philosophy• Can be used to identify the root of any problem

you are trying to solve

ASK 'WHY' FIVE TIMES ABOUT EVERY MATTER• What problem are you solving?

• Why?• Why?• Why?• Why?• Why?

• Who are you solving it for?• Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

• How will you measure success?• Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Building a Roadmap as the Most Amazing Product

Manager Ever

??

??

?

ROADMAPPING LIKE A BOSS (CUZ YOUR BOSS DELEGATED IT TO YOU)• Why are you roadmapping?• Who is your user/audience?• What defines a successful roadmap?

Why Everyone is Pissed at the Most Amazing Product

Manager Ever

“Why wasn't I consulted,” which I abbreviate as WWIC, is the

fundamental question of the web.”

Source: Ftrain

Source: Ftrain

“Brace yourself for the initial angry wave of criticism: How dare you, I hate it, it's ugly, you're stupid.”

Source: Ftrain

No really, why wasn't I consulted?

SLIDE

BE THE MOST AMAZING PRODUCT MANAGER EVER BY…

• Solving problems, not building features

• Asking 3 core questions about what you build

• Asking Why 5 times to understand the root of the

problem

• Don't let your team ask WWIC

QUESTIONS?

@UXWENDY