Deadlines are death for product teams. (thread)
I can already hear what you may be thinking. "But if we don't have a deadline how will I hold the team accountable?"
Deadlines can create urgency, but for product teams this is the exact wrong kind /2
Deadlines can create urgency, but for product teams this is the exact wrong kind /2
The biggest issue with deadline-driven product work is that the deadline overshadows the impact.
There's a simple question you need to ask yourself: /3
There's a simple question you need to ask yourself: /3
What if you shipped on time, but didn't cause the change you wanted? Everyone says that isn't what they want. But then we're lying to ourselves if we think every change we make will create impact. /4
Most features don't accomplish their goals. I agree with @cagan that the best teams assume 75% of them won't work. That changes how you approach deadlines. /5
When < What < Why
I've seen many teams (especially at large companies) get handed a deadline and requirements from leadership. I laugh when leadership is surprised that the team takes longer than they expect.
This may have worked in the past, but this is a recipe for $ millions in waste today. /7
This may have worked in the past, but this is a recipe for $ millions in waste today. /7
Make the impact the goal, then have conversations around timing expectations. By giving teams autonomy and getting out of the deadline-driven game of shipping features, you are dramatically increasing your likelihood of actually making a difference with your product. /8
