Jacob Hansen provides leadership on product management maturity, product process, strategic analysis and collaborative and context-driven workshops. He has managed product teams and products themselves in both healthcare and real estate development, including hardware, software, and services products that grossed over $100MM in annual revenue while growing at 30-40% year over year. Jacob is driven by two core values, among others: first, a belief that all significant problems are waiting for a solution created by those who fearlessly research a problem's practical roots rather than its theoretical goals. Second, that more often than not, people are prepared to perform at progressively stronger levels so long as bureaucracy gets out of the way. His zeal for strategic product work is only exceeded by his love for his wife and two children, for a challenging climb on a bike, for perfectly cut grass on a fairway, and for fresh tracks on a snowy day in the mountains.
Businesses today, large or small, constantly crave new logos, more market share, new markets, and more revenue.  During accelerated growth the pace is frantic, the view of future is bright, and the growth will always be there… right?  That trend line will never stop going up… right? Inherent in launching a product is the expectation of growth, the “why†behind the project in the first place, and such expectation is clearly justified.  Making good on revenue commitments, building the team, and expanding the install base are all the “right†outcomes. However…
How do roadmaps and best-laid strategic plans get hijacked or derailed?  What can product managers do to protect their products from the would-be hijackers (who are likely unaware of the consequences of their demands)? Who is Hijacking my Roadmap?!?! In many cases, strategic customers are holding your roadmap hostage. We all know how important these relationships…
Let’s say, for a moment, that a survey of executives was conducted focusing on their most common questions about the product development process.  What would the most common questions be?  At Venturis Partners, product and R&D organizations are our firm’s focus, so we hear a lot of those questions and right at the top of…
