What was the problem?

The company’s strategic direction shifted significantly after the Product Manager went on maternity leave, making the existing transition plan obsolete and requiring rapid re-prioritization of the entire product roadmap to align with new business objectives.

What did I do?

I assumed Product Manager responsibilities alongside my EM role, working with leadership to redefine product priorities and created new PRDs that reflected the company’s updated direction while keeping the squad focused and aligned.

How did I do it?

  1. I scheduled alignment meetings with executive leadership to understand the new strategic direction and business priorities.
  2. I translated strategic goals into concrete feature requirements and created updated PRDs that replaced the outdated transition plan.
  3. I re-prioritized the backlog with the squad, openly communicating why previous roadmap items were deprioritized and what shifted.
  4. I maintained transparent communication with the squad about uncertainty, setting clear decision-making criteria for feature scope.

What did I achieve?

The squad successfully delivered three key features aligned with the new strategy, maintained team morale despite significant changes.