Product Managers frequently struggle to develop, communicate, and stay on strategy as expressed in a product roadmap. Demands from sales and changing tides in executive opinions can side track the best laid plans. The key to staying on track is to avoid feature wars and start with "why"; why your product, why this release, why this strategy, and why this roadmap. This talk will present that argument, drawing on the best-selling leadership book "Start with Why", and will include practical tools to translate the idea into a product development setting.

1. The Why-Driven Roadmap Setting direction and staying on track Alan Armstrong Managing Director Eigenworks, Inc. aa@eigenworks.com May 30, 2010

2. What is this session really about?

3. What is this session really about?

4. Additional Resources Articles: www.onproductmanagement.net Win/Loss Services (www.eigenworks.com) Podcasts: Resilient Relationship http://bit.ly/rrelationship Michael Papanek Disruptive business models http://bit.ly/sweetlew

5. Great Product Managers start with WHY http://bit.ly/sww-intros

6. Starting with WHY “WHY” is Market Centric Give us a narrative Values and social impact Users and what’s at stake Nothing about Your company Your product

7. Starting with WHY Apple iPhone: Everyone needs a phone Smart phones suck Other examples: Social values under threat Huge social opportunity Competitive weaknesses Unserved needs

8. What is the WHY of … Your company? Your product? Your current job? Your career?

9. HOW we compete weak pass strong

10. HOW we compete weak category strength pass strong

11. HOW we compete product strength weak pass strong

13. Close competitive gap

15. HOW we manage our portfolio

16. HOW we manage our portfolio

17. What are we releasing?

18. The why-driven roadmap

19. Roadmapping is a process, Roadmap is the output

20. Roadmaps signal intent Contracts legally bind

21. Expect your competitors to see whatever give to sales or analysts

22. Great Product Managers start with WHY http://bit.ly/sww-intros

23. What is the WHY of … Your company? Your product? Your current job? Your career?

24. The Why-Driven Roadmap Setting direction and staying on track Alan Armstrong Managing Director Eigenworks, Inc. aa@eigenworks.com May 30, 2010