We’re pivoting our product, and it’s difficult to plan the roadmap too far out. How do we reset expectations on what product communicates?

I think you say exactly that! "We're pivoting our product. There are a lot of unknowns. It's hard to plan our roadmap too far out. We're resetting expectations on how much we can communicate..." THEN, I would add this... "We are focusing on these 3 themes in this priority - 1... 2... 3...Our goal is to deliver these X, Y, and Z customer outcomes by pivoting our product. We plan to have an update on these themes in ABC timeframe." It's ok not to have all the answers in times of big change and amb ...Read More

Ultimately, communicating about your product should tie to the outcome that you hope to drive. When pivoting a product, I've found it's most helpful to be honest about the process the team is going through. Sharing less information with higher quality is far more valuable than any other course of action in these scenarios. For example, when our team was stuck in a rut due to poor Org Design and a mountain of tech debt, we went to our executive team with a clear message. We needed time to unravel ...Read More

This is a common case scenario. Here are the few things I would take into account when providing a reset of expectations: For the items too far out in the roadmap should be provided with an asterix and tentative disclaimer Ensure that as soon as you know that there is a possibility of a pivot, start communication informally with the primary stakeholders to avoid surprises and backlash Once there is clarity on the pivot, come up with a plan to explain the following things in the communication - W ...Read More

I’m wishing you a successful product pivot! You got this! In this situation, you have your internal stakeholders (sales, marketing, GTM, etc) and you have your customers you need to reset expectations with (mostly for B2B products, less so for B2C) For your internal stakeholders, the best thing you can do is be transparent and bring them as close as possible to what’s happening. For example, share the challenges, the tough trade off considerations, data you are using to drive your decisions, etc ...Read More

I've had to manage a couple different pivots like in my product career. What's worked best in terms of communicating is the following: Making clear the "why" behind the pivot, and the risk associated with not pivoting Stating clearly the underlying first principles or vision for the pivot that exists today (it doesn't have to be super detailed - but this more about acknowledging what you do know or what you believe should be true) Acknowledging clearly that the roadmap will be in flux for some t ...Read More

Say exactly that "We're pivoting our product. There are a lot of unknowns and it's difficult to plan too far out." It's perfectly fine to communicate honestly. If there's a good reason for the pivot, no one will fault you for it.  If you're able to have direct conversations with customers, it's important that you set up these conversations. Having open and honest conversations is important to build trust despite the pivot. It is also an opportunity to solicit feedback and listen to your customer ...Read More

When you are in a situation where the team needs time to build a point of view on the roadmap, there are a few tactics you can use to help build trust within the organization and set clear expectations. .  Start by sharing the process - where are you currently in the process, what has been done and what is yet to be done. If there is a strategy, but no roadmap yet, share the strategy and get people confident in the direction you are going. If you only have the next 3 months, start by sharing a q ...Read More

If you are unable to have a longer term roadmap view: then proactively reset expectations while increasing the cadence of communication.  There may be a number of reasons why you are in this state: product pivot, external event like global pandemic happening that changes customer and market dynamics beyond your control. Switch your roadmap in these scenarios to focus on assumptions you are looking to quickly prove/disprove before more additional investments. Then provide an accelerated pace of c ...Read More

In terms of how to communicate with your internal organization, partner teams, and stakeholders during a pivot, I'd make these internal partners and stakeholders a participating part of the pivot planning process. Once you're through that process and back to executing, then you can communicate timelines and project status internally just like before. How to communicate with an external audience (e.g. clients in a b2b business or consumers in a b2c business) is a decision that usually gets vetted ...Read More

Pivoting a product is typically a very difficult time for everyone involved. I feel for you! Depending on who has these expectations and the reasons why it is difficult to plan too far out (and what "too far out" means to you), there are several things that you can do. Some of them are pre-requisites before you actually try to set expectations. Have a vision for where you want the product to go. If you are pivoting, you need to know what you are pivoting to. If you don't have a vision for your p ...Read More

Is your leadership aware of this pivot? If not, I would recommend starting there. Are there internal stakeholders who need to be educated about this pivot as well. If so, start with that alignment first. As part of this alignment, highlight the reasons for the pivot and impact to business and users. As part of these conversations, include not just details of the near term roadmap but also add details on what questions will be answered by the end of the time period to inform the team what comes n ...Read More

It sounds like you're probably concerned about pushback from stakeholders for whom longer-term planning is highly beneficial, e.g. sales and marketing. Having a "plan for a plan" could help here – in other words, "we're pivoting and we don't want to plan more than 3 months out because we need to reach X, Y, Z milestones or answer questions A, B, C". Provide a timeframe / conditions under which you'll start to plan further out could help build trust and confidence. In the meantime, you might also ...Read More

For a product pivot with unpredictable directions, aligning stakeholders' expectations around flexibility and frequent updates is key. Here’s how to approach this: Adopt a Rolling Roadmap: Shift from a long-term fixed roadmap to a shorter, rolling roadmap that focuses on the immediate few months. Emphasise that the roadmap will be revisited and adjusted as insights from the pivot emerge. Introduce Themes Over Features: Communicate high-level themes or objectives rather than specific features or ...Read More

Navigating a product pivot involves recalibrating communication with stakeholders, including customers, investors, and internal teams. The primary goal is to build trust. I recommend transparently communicating the rationale behind the pivot and framing it as an opportunity for innovation and growth. At this phase, shifting your team's focus from long-term planning to short-term goals is crucial. Your ability to demonstrate tangible progress toward these short-term goals will deepen trust and re ...Read More

The question underscores the challenges which POs experience while attempting to clarify reasons behind product pivot. However, the reason to pivot the product must be first clear enough to the product team such that they can subdue any background cacophony which often becomes too much time consuming and is un-productive. Triggers to pivot a product might be the result of market reciprocation, but the narratives become stronger if the reasons are supported by data and information of associated o ...Read More