---

name: four-bbs-roadmap description: Use during quarterly or annual roadmap planning, when Engineering wants tech debt work while PMs want features and Leadership wants moonshots, to force explicit resource allocation

The Four BBs Strategy Framework

Overview

A strategic allocation framework to categorize product work into four distinct buckets, ensuring balanced roadmap between maintenance, growth, and innovation.

Core principle: If I gave you 100 focus points, how much goes in each bucket?

The Four Buckets

Copy┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                           RISK                                  │
│           Low ◄─────────────────────────────► High              │
│  ┌───────────────────────┬───────────────────────┐              │
│  │   BRILLIANT BASICS    │      BIG BETS         │  Differen-  │
│  │                       │                       │  tiator     │
│  │   Non-negotiable      │   Large, risky        │              │
│  │   tech debt, hygiene  │   initiatives for     │              │
│  │   "Brilliant" not     │   significant growth  │              │
│  │   just "debt"         │                       │              │
│  ├───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┤              │
│  │   BREAD AND BUTTER    │    BREAKING BAD       │  Transform- │
│  │                       │                       │  ational    │
│  │   Core features,      │   Existential pivots, │              │
│  │   incremental         │   moonshots,          │              │
│  │   optimizations       │   redefine identity   │              │
│  └───────────────────────┴───────────────────────┘              │
│          Incremental                   Foundational             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Example Allocation

Common Mistakes

• Calling foundational work "tech debt" (demotivating)
• Getting stuck in Bread & Butter without investing in Big Bets
• No explicit allocation conversation with stakeholders

---

Source: Anuj Rathi (Jupiter Money, Swiggy, Flipkart) via Lenny's Podcast