501: How to Do Product Management During the COVID-19 Crisis

What It Covers

Steli Efti and Hiten Shah examine how software product teams should adjust development roadmaps, timelines, and launch strategies during COVID-19 as remote work disrupts productivity and customer priorities shift dramatically.

Key Questions Answered

• •Productivity expectations: Product development will slow or halt for teams unaccustomed to remote work—Google paused Chrome updates except security patches, and Basecamp delayed their Hey email product indefinitely during the pandemic transition period.
• •Roadmap flexibility: Reprioritize features already planned that become more relevant during crisis conditions rather than maintaining original timelines. Continue talking to customers about current problems, but expect to adjust based on rapidly changing circumstances affecting users.
• •Launch performance variance: Product launches during crisis periods show extreme divergence—video collaboration tools see major upticks while most other categories experience lower conversion rates despite maintained traffic levels, requiring adjusted expectations for typical launch metrics and outcomes.
• •Remote collaboration adaptation: Teams relying on physical whiteboards, desk check-ins, and conference room meetings must rapidly adopt documentation practices and video tools like Zoom. Most companies lack proper remote product development processes and need immediate process changes.