Janna Bastow Identifies Four Pitfalls in Adopting Now-Next-Later Roadmapping

In a recent LinkedIn post, Janna Bastow discusses common reasons why the Now-Next-Later (NNL) product roadmap framework may fail to gain traction within organizations. Bastow, CEO of ProdPad, argues that the difficulties are often rooted in specific, identifiable mistakes rather than inherent flaws in the NNL methodology itself.

Bastow highlights that the adoption of NNL can falter due to several key missteps. She points out that the framework’s success hinges on understanding its core principles, and deviations can lead to frustration and abandonment.

“‘We tried Now-Next-Later and it didn’t stick’ almost always comes down to one of four mistakes: renaming your quarters, keeping locked feature commitments, overloading the Now column, or stripping out every genuine date.”

Bastow elaborates on these four critical errors that can undermine the effectiveness of the NNL approach. She emphasizes that these are not minor oversights but fundamental misunderstandings of how to implement a flexible, outcome-oriented roadmap.

Understanding the Four Core Mistakes

Renaming Quarters

One significant pitfall Bastow identifies is the temptation to rename traditional quarterly planning cycles to fit the NNL structure, such as calling them ‘Now 1’, ‘Now 2’, etc. This, according to Bastow, defeats the purpose of NNL by reintroducing the rigid, time-bound commitments that the framework seeks to move away from. She argues that the flexibility of ‘Now’ should not be constrained by arbitrary date boundaries.

Locked Feature Commitments

Another mistake Bastow cautions against is maintaining locked feature commitments within the NNL framework. She explains that the essence of NNL is to provide a high-level view of strategic direction and upcoming priorities, not to serve as a fixed backlog. As Bastow notes, “keeping locked feature commitments” fundamentally misinterprets the NNL’s role in adaptable planning.

Overloading the ‘Now’ Column

Bastow also points out the issue of overloading the ‘Now’ column with too many initiatives. The ‘Now’ should represent what the team is actively working on or has committed to delivering very soon. When this column becomes a dumping ground for numerous unrefined ideas, it loses its clarity and purpose. According to Bastow, this practice negates the focus that NNL aims to provide.

Stripping Out Genuine Dates

Finally, Bastow addresses the mistake of removing all date-related context. While NNL moves away from strict quarterly deadlines, Bastow clarifies that it doesn’t mean abandoning all sense of timing. She suggests that some indication of when ‘Next’ or ‘Later’ items might be relevant is still valuable for strategic context. Stripping out every genuine date, she argues, can lead to a roadmap that is too abstract to be actionable.

Converting Existing Roadmaps

Bastow also provides guidance on how organizations can transition to the NNL framework without discarding previous work. She offers a set of steps designed to help teams adapt their current roadmapping efforts to incorporate the principles of Now-Next-Later. This suggests a practical approach for those looking to implement the framework effectively.

In her post, Bastow provides a link to further details, indicating a comprehensive guide to overcoming these common adoption hurdles. Her insights aim to equip product teams with the knowledge to successfully implement and benefit from the Now-Next-Later roadmapping strategy.