The Travel Theory of Product Management
The ways we travel projects using Backpacks, Roadmaps, and Travel Journals
The ways we travel reveal a lot about our personalities and about the context in which a journey takes place. In Product Management, we create itineraries toward Product Vision.
Some like to travel along a strict itinerary with pre-arranged milestones, transport and stays. With these, you will have to worry less about where to go, how to get there and what to organize along the way. It provides a sense of certainty when traveling through unfamiliar places.
In more complex and unpredictable environments, however, all these pre-made arrangements are a risk. What if something unexpected happens along the way, what to do with all these bookings and reservations?
A backpacker will argue they won’t have to spend so much time and effort doing this upfront planning. They can ‘set-off’ when they please when the moment is right and take it from there.
In complex, unpredictable environments, particularly in business, one could argue it is best to seek certainties upfront, before setting out. A backpacker, however, will trust it can make better decisions along the way than it can upfront.
