How do you prevent multitasking in product teams? The Roadmap podcast

Watch or listen: YouTube // Spotify // Apple

Munawar Ahmed is a product and service design leader with decades of experience helping organizations rethink how they build and deliver products. She’s worked across industries like banking, fintech, telecom, healthcare, and government, often stepping into complex environments where teams are stretched thin and progress has stalled.

In this episode, Munawar and DECODE CEO Marko Strizic unpack why multitasking and constant context switching hurt product teams, how they slow delivery, and what leaders can do to create focus, flow, and healthier ways of working.

What you’ll learn:

• What context switching really is, and why multitasking is far more damaging than it looks
• How constant interruptions affect focus, code quality, and creative problem-solving in product teams
• When context switching becomes a cultural problem instead of a short-term necessity
• Practical ways leaders can reduce distractions and create space for deep, focused work
• Why protecting team time leads to better products, healthier teams, and faster delivery
• How focus-first ways of working can become the norm in just a few weeks
  

In this episode, we discuss:

(00:00) Introduction to the episode

(02:29) What context switching is and why multitasking is a myth

(05:31) Where context switching shows up at work and in everyday life

(07:49) How constant switching affects focus, quality, and motivation

(09:47) Munawar’s experience with context switching and deep work

(12:07) When context switching becomes a cultural problem

(13:49) A real client case that shows how to eliminate constant interruptions

(22:14) How teams react when focus and flow are protected

(25:35) Why time is the most valuable resource teams have

(28:46) Managing context switching outside of work

(32:32) When teams start feeling the benefits of focused work

(34:22) Why four-week sprint cycles work better for complex projects

(36:26) Setting boundaries and managing client expectations

(38:07) Final thoughts on focus, discipline, and healthier ways of working

Where to find Munawar and The Roadmap

Munawar Ahmed

• Website
• LinkedIn

The Roadmap

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

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