What is a roadmap ?
The product roadmap is an essential planning tool for product teams looking to achieve their mid- to long-term vision. This strategic planning prioritizes the initiatives to be taken to improve the product strategy and solve user problems with the right solution. The roadmap represents the structured intent of the product team to achieve this vision.
The main purpose of the product roadmap is to allow product teams to focus on the most important and priority initiatives, while avoiding distractions and pitfalls that could get in the way of achieving their vision. By structuring initiatives, the roadmap also helps to clearly communicate priorities and expectations, align different stakeholders, and track progress and results.
The most commonly used roadmap format is "Now/Next/Later", where "Now" covers the next quarter, "Next" the next two, and "Later" projects further into the future.
How is the roadmap defined and what are the steps in its creation?
Creating a collaborative product roadmap is crucial to ensure that all stakeholders' needs are met.
Although the process can vary by company, there are key steps to follow:
- Strategy and Business objectives: The board of directors define business objectives and the product strategy.
- Inputs gathering: Stakeholder requirements are then gathered by analyzing user feedback and usage data.
- Prioritization Opportunities are prioritized using a framework, with all stakeholders involved for alignment.
- Visualize Create a visualized roadmap in a timeline
- Validate and share: The product roadmap is then validated in a committee and shared widely.
- Revisit and update: Regular updates to the roadmap ensure alignment with the company's priorities.
When and how to share the roadmap?
Sharing the product roadmap is an important part of product management, as it helps stakeholders understand the vision, goals, and priorities of the product. However, when and how to share the roadmap may vary depending on the organization and its stakeholders.
To start with, the roadmap should be shared with all relevant stakeholders, including the executive team, operational teams, key stakeholders, and customers. This ensures that everyone involved in the product development process is aware of the product's direction and can contribute to its success.
The means of sharing can vary, but some common methods include dedicated meetings, product management tools, and public roadmaps. Public roadmaps, in particular, can be useful for engaging customers and gaining feedback, as they allow customers to see the product's direction and suggest features or improvements.
In terms of timing, the roadmap should be updated regularly and shared with stakeholders as appropriate. For example, the development team might be updated every few sprints (2-6 weeks) to ensure they are aligned with the product vision and goals. Stakeholders might also be updated during quarterly reviews or Steering Committee meetings, where the product roadmap is presented in a "Now + Next" format to show what is currently being worked on and what is planned for the near future.
It's important to tailor the communication of the roadmap to each stakeholder's level of complexity and role in the company. For example, the roadmap might be presented in more technical detail to the development team than to the executive team, who might be more interested in high-level business goals and market trends.
In summary, sharing the product roadmap is an essential part of product management, and it should be done regularly with all relevant stakeholders using appropriate communication methods and tailored messaging.
Some Product roadmap tools
Roadmap tools matrix
Free roadmaps templates
- 7 product roadmaps examples
- 8+ Roadmap Infographic Templates for Improved Planning
- Agile Roadmap Template Figma
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