Today’s episode is brought to you by Figma. Two important tools of the Rebel Intrapreneur are the business model canvas and the value proposition canvas. Figma has templates for both, so you can design your innovation projects fast. I used the value proposition canvas template to design the listener profile and value map for this show. Try Figma for free.
Dave Martin, co-author of this great new book: The Product Momentum Gap: Bring Together Product Strategy and Customer Value (with co-author, Andrea Saez, who will also be on the show coming up in November), makes a bold statement early in the book: “It’s time to stop squandering resources by using a roadmap as the primary means of executing your product strategy. It doesn’t work.”
Wait, I thought. Isn’t roadmaps what product teams do?
I get it. The word “primary” is in there. Product managers shouldn’t ditch the roadmap. However, the roadmap is not the objective. But sometimes product teams do get caught up in the gravity of making the roadmap the main thing. After all, everyone is asking to see the roadmap, even customers. If the roadmap doesn’t look good, it must be because we have no product strategy.
No problem. Improve the roadmap. Improve the product strategy.
Of course this is flawed and incorrect.
Think of it this way.
Marketing generates leads
Sales secures new customers.
Customer success retains and expands customers.
Product builds roadmaps?
No.
According to Dave and Andrea: Product “should” create new customer behaviors.
When you listen to this conversation with Dave (and the November episode with Andrea) and read their book, you will understand.
Product creates new customer behaviors.
More about Dave:
The Book: The Product Momentum Gap: Bringing Together Product Strategy and Customer Value (affiliate link, if you’d like to support Rebel Intrapreneur)
Dave Martin’s Website: RightToLeft Consulting
More about Bill:
Rebel Intrapreneur podcast website
Bill’s book: The Art of Agile Marketing: A Practical Roadmap for Implementing Kanban and Scrum in Jira and Confluence
Get the show on:
070 Dave Martin Your strategy needs to answer: Who is my product serving next?