I don’t aim for balance — I design for coherence. Short-term wins should build long-term momentum. I treat our roadmap like a portfolio: some projects deliver now, some test what's next, some build the future. But every initiative answers the same question: Who are we becoming? That identity anchor helps us say no with confidence, invest with intent, and avoid chasing urgency at the cost of meaning.

Short-term work should feel surgical, able to make small, impactful changes to systems and ways of working that are already very well understood. This work has the ability to improve employee satisfaction and the customer experience, buying time and earning a bit of patience before the next big thing comes out. At the same time, long-term projects can't be implemented half-baked. If you've ever experienced this, you've observed that the former solution remained far more beneficial than the new solution at introduction, and the first impression was absolutely destroyed by a rushed lack luster experience. No silver bullets here, but don't give up something good, for something substandard that only has the potential to one day be great.

Balancing short-term tech projects and long-term goals requires focus and alignment. Here’s how: Prioritize Strategically – Ensure short-term wins support long-term objectives. Drop quick fixes that don’t align. Roadmap Phases – Break long-term goals into milestones, dedicating ~70% of resources to core work and ~30% to quick wins. Avoid Tech Debt – Weigh short-term gains against future costs. Favor scalable solutions. Agile + Vision – Let teams iterate on immediate needs while leadership steers toward the big picture. Communicate Trade-offs – Transparency ensures buy-in when prioritizing one over the other. Balance comes from disciplined focus—short-term work should fuel, not derail, long-term success.

As a Creative Director, I’ve seen too many teams burn out chasing short-term wins while their brand soul gets sidelined. In APAC, 72% of tech firms (McKinsey, 2025) admit they lack rhythm between vision and velocity. Flipkart’s Moon-Shot Mondays proved how structured imagination fuels scalable execution. "If you chase only sprints, strategy takes hints!"

In my view, focus should be spent on the roadmap items tied to measurable goals that align with both the product strategy and the company's vision. I also recommend keeping a portion of R&D time and budget, for exploring new applications or emerging technology. This way we are kept grounded, forward-looking and aligned.

Link your short term goals to the long term ones. They all should be in one strategic direction. If not skip or decrease their priority.

I align short-term projects with our long-term vision by prioritizing initiatives that deliver quick wins while building foundations for future growth. I ensure transparency in decision-making, encourage regular reviews, and adapt plans as needed. This approach delivers immediate value while keeping us on track to achieve strategic objectives.