“Roadmaps are evidence of strategy. Not a list of features.” – Steve Johnson, Product Management Thought Leader
Dear all
When I first came to the US as a student, I was confused by how you ordered your pizza. Choose the size and sauce, and add some toppings of your liking.
Where I came from, every pizza had a name and an underlying theme.
Pizza Margherita’s ingredients mirror the colors of the Italian flag. (The first pizza Margherita was supposedly served to the Italian queen of the same name.) Pizza Diavola is – as the name suggests – a hot pizza featuring spicy salami and chili peppers. Pizza Napoli features anchovies and black olives. And so on. Every pizza somehow reflected the intent of the cook.
In California, pizzas were directly made to the desires of the diners. Cooks simply executed the customer’s orders. Often misunderstood because neither the cook nor the ordering student were native speakers. I recall some pretty Frankensteinian creations being delivered to our doorstep.
This week I had some interesting conversations about „IT products“ that reminded me of California student day pizzas.
During the discussions, the main topic was which prioritization framework would be best to use in order to prioritize features and efficiently fit them into the release containers.
Much like with European pizzas, though, I believe it to be useful to have a clear understanding of a product’s purpose, JTBD (job to be done), business goals, or product strategy. Otherwise, the product may turn out like some of the pizzas we used to eat as students.
This weekend’s readings, therefore, put prioritization frameworks into contextso your products don’t end up like the pizza in Saeed Khan’s LinkedIn post.
Why You Should Avoid Prioritization Frameworks and How To Do It Right
This Medium article elaborates on Saeed Khan’s LinkedIn post which drew thousands of reactions and more than 200 comments.
9 Product Prioritization Techniques From the Real-World Perspective
In her post, Büsra Coskuner covers a range of prioritization methods and provides guidance on using them effectively in various situations.
This article is the perfect choice if you’re looking for a comprehensive read on the topic.
Have a great summer weekend,
Godehard