Product Talk Okta VP of Product on Building B2B SaaS Roadmaps and Leveraging AI in Product Management
Aug 22, 2025
Ian Hassard, VP of Product Management at Okta, brings 20 years of experience from telecom and cybersecurity to the conversation. He discusses balancing customer needs with technical complexity in B2B SaaS. Ian emphasizes the importance of direct communication with customers and cross-departmental collaboration. He also dives into building adaptable roadmaps that leverage AI for efficiency. The dialogue touches on prioritizing customer requests while maintaining ethical user experiences, navigating escalations, and the nuances of decision-making in fast-paced environments.
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Roadmaps Need Variable Resolution
- Use a high-resolution near-term roadmap and blurrier long-term vision to set realistic expectations.
- Keep at least 90–180 days of clear roadmap so customers can plan.
Use Agile Metrics To Forecast Roadmaps
- Treat Agile as execution, not a roadmap replacement; use velocity analytics to estimate future delivery.
- Measure story points, sprint throughput, and developer capacity to build a two-year outlook.
Compose Teams With Complementary PM Skills
- Build a product team as an orchestra with varied PM skills across technical depth and strategic breadth.
- Hire a spectrum of PMs rather than expecting a single unicorn to cover all needs.