Square's public roadmap serves a dual purpose. While it informs customers, its primary internal function is to create accountability. Committing to features publicly forces the organization to deliver on its promises with speed and quality, preventing internal delays.

The CHIPS Act's success came from a 'happy medium' design. Congress set a clear, bipartisan objective (semiconductors) but granted the executive team broad discretion on implementation. This structure proved more effective than an overly broad mandate (e.g., 'economic security') or overly prescriptive legislation.

When launching a new strategy, define the specific go/no-go decision criteria on paper from day one. This prevents "revisionist history" where success metrics are redefined later based on new fact patterns or biases. This practice forces discipline and creates clear accountability for future reviews.

To ensure you follow through on major initiatives you might otherwise abandon, announce them publicly to your audience. This "burn the boats" approach creates external pressure and social accountability, making it harder to retreat and forcing you to stay consistent.

Simply stating a goal, like "increase sales by 15%," is insufficient for autonomous teams. Leaders must also articulate the "anti-vision"—the negative outcomes to avoid, such as eroding customer experience. This rich context provides clearer guardrails and a more nuanced understanding of the mission.

To manage stakeholder expectations and create predictable workflows, collaboratively create Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with each internal team. This approach builds mutual understanding and buy-in, making it easier to enforce timelines and address deviations from the agreed-upon process later on.

Treat government programs as experiments. Define success metrics upfront and set a firm deadline. If the program fails to achieve its stated goals by that date, it should be automatically disbanded rather than being given more funding. This enforces accountability.

Instead of relying solely on one-on-one meetings for alignment, PMs should craft a compelling vision. This vision motivates engineers by showing how even small, tactical tasks contribute to a larger, exciting goal. It drives alignment, clarity, and motivation more effectively than just a roadmap.

Go beyond visual roadmaps. Create a monthly written document for executives that explains *why* the roadmap changed, details priorities, and includes data from recent launches. This forces intentionality, builds trust, and fosters deeper, more accountable conversations with leadership.