The Rise of Purpose-Driven Product Management: Why Agathe Daae-Qvale Says Your Roadmap Needs Soul

Product teams today are under pressure to move fast—ship features, hit targets, and stay ahead of the competition. But thought leader and strategist Agathe Daae-Qvale is urging a more intentional approach: one that brings humanity and meaning back into product development.

Author Agathe Daae-Qvale

“A roadmap without purpose is just a to-do list,” says Daae-Qvale. “When we build without asking why it matters, we risk creating digital noise instead of meaningful change.”

As the author of Digitized Product Management and a sought-after advisor to innovation teams across industries, Daae-Qvale has long championed a values-driven approach to digital leadership. She believes that the future of product success lies not only in user metrics and market trends, but in purpose—understanding the deeper human and societal impact behind every feature, service, or launch.

Beyond KPIs: Redefining Success in the Product World

While data and performance indicators still play an important role, Daae-Qvale encourages organizations to expand their definitions of success. “Too many product teams are optimized for conversion and retention, but they’re not asking if their product is actually improving lives, solving real problems, or contributing positively to the world.”

Her approach invites teams to explore more reflective questions, such as:

• What are we really trying to solve?

• Who benefits—and who might be left out?

• How does this product align with our company’s values?

According to Daae-Qvale, when companies engage with these questions early and often, their teams gain clarity, motivation, and strategic focus that far outlasts the next sprint cycle.

From Feature Lists to Impact Maps

At the heart of this movement is a shift from feature-centric roadmaps to purpose-centered planning. Daae-Qvale advocates for “roadmaps with soul”—strategic documents that prioritize robust design, sustainable innovation, and deep user engagement over superficial outputs.

She’s quick to point out that this doesn’t mean abandoning business goals. “It means aligning your innovation pipeline with something that truly matters—something your team and your users can believe in.”

A New Kind of Leadership

More than just a shift in tools or frameworks, this approach requires a transformation in leadership. Daae-Qvale coaches founders, CPOs, and product leads to embody a different mindset: one that blends business acumen with emotional intelligence, systems thinking, and the courage to challenge conventional norms.

As purpose-driven innovation continues to gain traction, Agathe Daae-Qvale stands at the forefront—helping product teams reconnect with the ‘why’ behind their work and build solutions that are not just profitable, but truly meaningful.

“We don’t need more features,” she says. “We need more wisdom in what we choose to build.”

Buy your copy of Digitized Product Management here.