AMA: Barracuda Sr. Director, Product Management, Sheila Hara on Product Roadmap & Prioritization

Great question—this is something every product leader faces at some point, and navigating it well can really define the maturity of your product practice. First, I believe that executive input should never be dismissed—it often reflects strategic priorities, broader market insights, or signals from key customers. That said, as Teresa Torres often reminds us, "decisions should be made based on continuous discovery, not hierarchy." So, while I receive that input with respect and curiosity, I alway ...Read More

I’ve been in this situation before—when leadership is new or in transition, and there’s a guidance vacuum. It can feel disorienting, but it’s actually a chance for product teams to lead from the middle. Here’s how I approach it: 1. Anchor in the Customer When top-down clarity is missing, bottom-up truth becomes your superpower. Talk to customers. Revisit past research. Lean into what you know about the problems they care about most. As Melissa Perri says, “Good strategy starts with a deep unders ...Read More

I’ve definitely been in this situation—where the engineering leader is sharp, experienced, and maybe even skeptical about what value a PM adds. And honestly? I start with empathy. If they’ve never worked with a strong PM, their default assumption might be:“I already talk to customers. I already know what to build. What’s the PM doing that’s not duplicative?” So instead of jumping into a job description, I try to show them how a great PM actually makes their job easier. Here's how I frame it: “Yo ...Read More

You’re absolutely right—product management often feels like being pulled in all directions. At any given moment, you’re balancing customer needs, technical realities, business metrics, and stakeholder expectations. And here’s the truth: you can’t make everyone happy. But you can keep everyone aligned around the outcome you’re driving. When I feel that tension (and I’ve felt it at startups, at Walmart, and now at Barracuda), I come back to one central question: “What is the most important problem ...Read More

I’ve worked in very different product environments—from early-stage startups, to scaled giants like Walmart, to a mature but growing company like Barracuda—and I’ve seen how the role of product vision evolves at each stage. 0→1 (Startup phase) At this stage, product vision is the product. It’s your north star when there’s no data, no users, and very little structure. When I worked at a startup, our product vision was the story we told to early customers, to ourselves when things were uncertain, ...Read More

I primarily use a Cost-Adjusted Impact methodology, which helps bring objectivity and clarity to roadmap decisions—especially when tradeoffs are tough. The idea is simple: prioritize initiatives that drive the highest impact relative to effort or cost. But underneath that, I apply a few critical lenses to determine what impact means, and which costs really matter. Lenses I apply: Customer Value Will this solve a meaningful pain point or unlock value for a key persona? Weighted heavily—especially ...Read More

Roadmaps are as much about communication as they are about planning—so the right level of detail depends on who it’s for and how far ahead you're looking. I usually approach it with this mindset:“Be fixed on the outcomes. Be flexible on the how. Be clear on the why.” Fixed: Outcomes, Themes, and Near-Term Work I keep the next 1–2 quarters more detailed and committed, especially when it comes to key initiatives tied to revenue, customer commitments, or cross-functional dependencies. This includes ...Read More

Start by listening obsessively and aligning relentlessly. It’s tempting to jump into “fixing mode”—new VPs often feel pressure to prove their value fast. But the real superpower at this level isn’t doing more—it’s aligning more: the strategy, the team, the company, and the customer all into a coherent, focused direction. Spend your first weeks listening deeply: to customers, to execs, to your product team, to sales and support. Not just what they’re saying, but why they’re saying it. What do the ...Read More

This is the classic build vs. buy dilemma, and one that Marty Cagan and others have weighed in on often. My starting point is this: Does this capability differentiate us in the market? If the answer is no, then buying or partnering is usually the smarter path. Here’s a simple framework I often use: 1. Strategic Value Core Differentiator: Does building this in-house create a strategic advantage or unique customer value? If yes → lean toward building. If no → lean toward buying or partnering. 2. S ...Read More

It does—but with caveats. Quarterly roadmaps work well for near-term execution I use a quarterly format to create rhythm and alignment across product, engineering, and go-to-market teams. It gives everyone a shared sense of what’s committed, what’s flexible, and what’s aspirational. But I treat the roadmap like a living document—not a contract. Things shift, and that’s okay as long as the why behind the shifts is clear. For anything beyond 6 months? Capacity planning gets fuzzy. The further out ...Read More