Your Prioritization Framework Is Just Fine
2025.26 - It’s Planning Season 2026! I have some thoughts, some wise cracks, bit of sarcasm, but very useful advice on how to survive this annual ritual as a TPM.
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My Dearest TPMs,
It is once again planning season, the most wonderful time of the year, when we hold out hope that maybe this time, the number of features engineering needs to estimate will be a reasonable handful. A small enough list to let you, my TPM comrades, build high-confidence estimates and sizings so the executive leadership team can make informed decisions about what to commit to for fiscal year 2026.
Alas, reality will likely look different. We’ll find ourselves staring down a list of 50 features, armed with never enough time and somewhat useful PRDs (not that we’re writing those anymore, thanks, GenAI). Many will have gaping holes in requirements, but we’ll be told, “Be agile! You don’t need all the requirements. We’re not waterfall, you know.” And you will spend every ounce of self-control not to make the “what did you just say?” face.
By the end of the planning cycle, after surviving what feels like a Cirque du Soleil act gone horribly wrong, we’ll emerge with our best “it’s fine” confidence-level estimates, only for them to be immediately changed, to the utter shock of our leaders and product partners. And once again, one of the many grand conclusions, along with engineering needs to better sizing, will be that we need a better prioritization framework.
But here’s the truth: the framework isn’t the problem. It never was.
The real ailment is the lack of direction and focus, the absence of a clear, shared understanding of where we’re going. That’s why we end up with a massive list of 50 things, hoping that if we stare at it long enough, sprinkle in some numbers, and rank them just right, the right strategy will magically appear.
If you ask me, and I’ve seen this play out across many teams and companies, when you have a strong sense of direction, a goal with real conviction (not just a vague OKR), you don’t need to estimate 50 things. You only need 5 or 7, something single digit and low.
When the goal is clear, product spends more time defining great requirements, design might give us more than just a vague concept, and marketing could be build a compelling vision. Engineering gives better estimates. You get cleaner plans, stronger alignment, and - dear God - less churn later in the development lifecycle.
So no, your prioritization framework is just fine. What you need is clarity, conviction, and the courage to say, “We’re doing these five things and not the rest.”
Sometimes all you need is a better and clearer WHY, not a new framework. Also - not sure you can vibe code your way out of this one.
More advise and guidance to follow in the coming weeks as planning season progresses through its many crescendos.
Until next time!
-Aadil
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So do you think annual planning for medium to large scale businesses is largely a solved problem with frameworks like Amazon's OP1/OP2 process, especially noting the top down / bottom up aspect and the S.M.A.R.T. goals? I'm asking because for me, the answer is largely.. yes.