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- Event Recap: It's Mid-February, Has Your 2025 Roadmap Already Been Thrown Out?
Event Recap: It's Mid-February, Has Your 2025 Roadmap Already Been Thrown Out?
Check out valuable tips from experienced (Fractional) Chief Product Officer Erica Jenkins on how to create long term plans in an environment of volatility!
Product Leader Virtual Speaker Series
February 13, 2025
Scenario: It's January 12th. You've just spent months figuring out the perfect roadmap and strategy for the year. A wild executive swoops in. "Hey, can I chat with you real quick..." —and you watch your plans turn to dust in real time.
Has this ever happened to you?
Last week, Erica Jenkins shared some of her best tips with our community on how to build long term plans in a volatile environment.
Read the recap below, watch the recording and download the deck!
Key Takeaways
1. Strategic planning is an ongoing process
Annual planning isn’t a one-off event but an evolving discipline that requires CEO commitment, strategic alignment, and process-driven execution.
Companies that succeed at planning lay the groundwork throughout the year and don’t treat it as a last-minute exercise.
2. Customer-Centric Strategy
You need a deep understanding of who the customer is, beyond personas—psychographics, motivations, behaviors.
Understand why customers buy and how their lifestyles impact decision-making.
Companies must prioritize customer insights, efficient internal processes, and data-driven execution to succeed in the evolving SaaS landscape.
3. Accountability & Transparency
Regular structured check-ins to ensure ongoing progress:
Annual Kickoff
Monthly Town Halls
Weekly Leadership Meetings (L10 framework)
Daily standups for execution alignment
4. Roadmap Discipline
“If it’s not on the roadmap, it isn’t real.”
Prioritization must be deliberate, not reactive.
5. CEO Maturity and Appetite Matter
Success depends heavily on whether the CEO values structured planning or is prone to chasing shiny objects.
Key differences for Fractional leaders
1. A fCPO is Often a fCOO
A fractional Chief Product Officer must frequently act as a Chief Operating Officer, helping establish broader strategic execution frameworks.
2. Fractional Role Requires Agility
Unlike full-time roles where change can be slow, a fCPO must assess fit quickly and sometimes exit engagements if companies are resistant to change.
📽️ Watch the recording
👩🏫 Download the presentation
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