Not every product idea is a good idea.
Navigating the "everyone has an idea" style of backlog management.
Regardless if you’re the lone product manager at a start up or you’re at a 10,000 person company with a focus on a single product - we as product people are forever going to receive a consistent drip of new ideas for things to build.
Are they all good ideas though?
Absolutely not.
Do you have to figure out a way to both politely say “no” or “not right now” while still building/maintaining relationships with all of these folks at your company?
For sure.
It can be tough but I do have a few ways I personally try to navigate these choppy waters.
Let’s walk through them.
A B N. Always be networking.
Remember, a big part of getting things done in your feature factory - or any workplace really - is about who you know and how you work with them.
It's not just about pushing for your ideas or projects; it's about building genuine relationships.
My suggestion: figure out how to be that person who's always positive, always reaching out, and always ready to help.
This way, when you need support or want to push an essential feature through, you've got a network of allies who believe in your work and are willing to back you up.
It's about creating channels and relationships that can help you navigate the complexities of your role more easily and with more support.
Always Question Business Value
In the rush to release new features, we sometimes don't stop to consider the 'why' behind them. Especially when the original ideas of what to build/how to build it might be coming from that C suite stakeholder who may hold the keys to unlock a ton for you and your team down the road.
However, not every request that lands on your desk will be worth pursuing.
Some of them might have limited impact or come with incomplete information.
That's why it's crucial always to ask: What's the business value here?
You MUST understand the potential impact of the change requested and plan to be able to speak to it.
This isn't about being negative or shooting down ideas; it's about ensuring that your team's effort and resources are invested in work that truly matters and contributes to the company's goals.
If you can’t speak to the value, you will have trouble navigating the waters when you start to need other teams (who have their own priorities) to help you build the thing.
If you can’t measure…why not??
Here's the thing: if you don't measure the impact of your work, you're essentially flying blind.
Before diving into a new feature or project, step back and ask: How will we know if this is successful? What metrics are we aiming to improve?
Understanding your work's direct impact and the core metrics it targets is essential.
If you can't meaningfully measure a project's success, it might be worth reconsidering whether it's worth doing at all.
Have someone pushing to get work done that you don’t think will provide as much value? Consider collecting the data related to what’s being proposed and share with the requestor a comparison between this work and work lined up.
Additionally, determine how you can work the requestor into the previously backlogged work to have them at least feel included and influential.
Thank you for reading Product Party.
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