Episode Details

In the third installment of our requirements engineering series, Luca and Jeff shift focus from requirements themselves to the bigger picture: how do you actually turn ideas into working products? We explore the journey from product vision through roadmaps to backlogs, discussing what makes a good roadmap and—perhaps more importantly—the surprisingly common mistakes that even experienced teams make.

We dig into practical challenges like the "progress by PowerPoint" trap (putting milestones like "specification complete" on your roadmap instead of actual value delivery), the dangers of over-committing to dates before you understand the problem space, and why most organizations struggle with prioritization. Luca shares insights from his agile requirements engineering training, including a clever trap he sets for participants around roadmap design. We also tackle the iron triangle of project management and why varying resources is often the least effective lever to pull when a project is running late. Whether you're a product manager, engineering lead, or startup founder, this episode offers a grounded perspective on planning that respects both ambition and reality.

Key Topics

• [02:15] The hierarchy of planning artifacts: from product vision to roadmaps to backlogs
• [03:30] What makes a good product vision (Kennedy's moon landing speech as the gold standard)
• [06:45] Roadmaps as alignment and discovery tools, not static commitments
• [11:20] The prototyping phase and managing uncertainty in early-stage planning
• [15:40] Common mistake #1: Putting the wrong things on roadmaps ("specification complete" vs. actual value milestones)
• [21:30] The danger of over-committing to dates before understanding the problem (especially in VC-funded startups)
• [26:15] Tailoring roadmaps for different audiences (internal, customer-facing, investor-facing)
• [30:45] The failure to prioritize and its impact on roadmap execution
• [35:20] Finding the right level of granularity: the iceberg principle for roadmaps
• [40:10] The iron triangle of project management and why varying resources is the least effective lever
• [43:30] Who should own the roadmap (product management's role in synthesis and collaboration)

Notable Quotes

"If somebody has visions they should go see a doctor—but still, you know, it makes sense to have such a thing. A product vision should be nice and compact, like Kennedy's moon landing speech: what we're doing, the timeline, and the value." — Luca Ingianni

"I don't care about the stupid presentation. Show me a product increment. Show me captured value. Then we're talking. Anything else is just smoke and mirrors." — Luca Ingianni

"Plans are useless but planning is indispensable. That process of getting all the key players in the same room and trying to hash out this schedule is where you will uncover the biggest uncertainties and risks." — Jeff Gable

Resources Mentioned

• Agile Embedded Podcast Episode 31 - Interview with John Odo on product roadmaps (May 2022)
• Luca's Agile Requirements Engineering Training - Training course covering requirements, roadmaps, and product planning
• BaseRef - Jeff's new product for requirements and test management for medical device startups
• The Mythical Man-Month - Classic book on software project management discussing why adding people to late projects makes them later