Build for the future, not the present

Change is the only constant in technology.

Large companies are filled with hundreds or even thousands of people modifying single products. This comes amidst the non-stop pulsing of the tectonic shifts that define the tech industry. This means there’s a growing chasm between the present state of our products and the future we’re headed toward.

As a product team shepherding our own corner of the ecosystem, we’re left with two options: You build for the short-term alone and watch your product decay in its relevance. Or you build for the long-term and deliver enduring value.

We need to build products for the world we’re shipping in, not building in. And the longer the lead time for a project, the bigger the delta in these realities.

Future-proofing your work requires intention. We must:

• Anticipate trends. Seeing the future doesn’t require precognition, but the vigilance to recognize ongoing trends in our businesses and market climates. Then we need to shape our strategy to fit within them; simply acknowledging these in a roadmap is a useful forcing function. It’s also important the product executives prioritize transparently so individual teams can fit their strategies to them.

• Proactively align. “East-west” partnerships are challenging, but understanding peer roadmaps will equip you to fit your roadmap into those teams’ direction.

• Orient toward the long-term. Short-term optimizations can yield meaningful wins worth capturing, but we must recognize that lasting value is rarely succinctly expressed. Define the end state you’re building toward and back into the milestones that represent progress.