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How can PMs survive getting stuck in a waterfall
Manage episode 466480797 series 3243128
In this episode ofLessons in Product Management, host John Fontenot tackles a listener's question:How can a product manager succeed in a waterfall environment? He acknowledges that while Agile is often the preferred framework, many industries and organizations still operate in waterfall models, making adaptability key.
Fontenot offers two approaches:
- The Ideal Scenario – Where leadership is open to change, product managers can integrate discovery into waterfall planning by validating key assumptions upfront, treating specifications as hypotheses rather than rigid plans, and advocating for continuous learning.
- The Less-than-Ideal Scenario – When change is difficult, PMs should still find ways to gather feedback on in-flight projects, document assumptions, and leverage data to push for iterative improvements.
His key message: Regardless of methodology, success lies in how PMs use the time between releases to refine strategies and make data-driven decisions.
If you're an aspiring PM looking to gain real, hands-on product management experience OR if you're a current PM looking to augment your current experience in other domains, come join us atPath2Product where you'll solve real problems from real users of real products.
153 episodes
Manage episode 466480797 series 3243128
In this episode ofLessons in Product Management, host John Fontenot tackles a listener's question:How can a product manager succeed in a waterfall environment? He acknowledges that while Agile is often the preferred framework, many industries and organizations still operate in waterfall models, making adaptability key.
Fontenot offers two approaches:
- The Ideal Scenario – Where leadership is open to change, product managers can integrate discovery into waterfall planning by validating key assumptions upfront, treating specifications as hypotheses rather than rigid plans, and advocating for continuous learning.
- The Less-than-Ideal Scenario – When change is difficult, PMs should still find ways to gather feedback on in-flight projects, document assumptions, and leverage data to push for iterative improvements.
His key message: Regardless of methodology, success lies in how PMs use the time between releases to refine strategies and make data-driven decisions.
If you're an aspiring PM looking to gain real, hands-on product management experience OR if you're a current PM looking to augment your current experience in other domains, come join us atPath2Product where you'll solve real problems from real users of real products.
153 episodes
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1 Post-Launch PM with Megan Shulby - Assoc. Director of Technical Product Management @ AT&T 26:33

1 Will Gen AI Consolidate the PM and UX Roles? 15:04

1 How can PMs survive getting stuck in a waterfall 13:02

1 Why the pressure to constantly ship new features? 16:55

1 Why the best Product Managers are NOT perfectionists 6:14

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1 Leading Product in regulated industries with Bob Ainsbury, Chief Product Officer at Granicus 30:10

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1 When process kills progress - a story about Scrum 8:04
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