“I wisely started with a map,” said J. R. R. Tolkien, renowned author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Putting pen to paper and planning what a product will look like is one of the most mysterious and yet fulfilling parts of product management.
What Is a Product Roadmap?
A product roadmap depicts the vision, priorities and progression of a product over time. It can range from a simple visionary presentation (Facebook example) to a more detailed view (Agile Roadmap example); both are examples of product roadmaps that serve different purposes. It is important to note that a roadmap is an evolving document.
Source: Facebook Insights from MITcon 2018
Source: Sample Agile Roadmap Template from Business Documents
Why Use a Product Roadmap?
A roadmap offers key strategic insights during the early stages of product development, providing clarity on the scope, possibilities, and future of the product. As the product grows and evolves, the roadmap should be updated to reflect this evolution. The roadmap ensures that product journey is on the right track and acts as a bridge between the product’s present stage and its future potential.
When Is a Product Roadmap Used?
A roadmap should be used throughout the product journey, though for different purposes at different stages. Initially, it reflects the product’s vision and potential. As the product grows, the roadmap should be revised to reflect potential integrations, dependencies, changes in direction, or updated priorities. The roadmap can also be altered to suit specific audiences – for example, the most common version is a roadmap driven by customer journey, however, with added technical details, it becomes a tech strategy document or with added details of consumer growth, revenue, it becomes a product demo tool to show a projection of product value.
Who Creates the Roadmap?
Typically, the Product Manager, who has comprehensive insight into the product, is the most suitable person to build out the roadmap. While a Director of Product may also have this insight, they might be too far removed from the details of a specific product. On the other hand, a Product Owner might be working too much into the weeds to have a complete strategic view. However, each level of product professional can zoom in or out based on their needs within the roadmap. For example, a product Owner may focus on feature-specific details and a Director of Product may zoom out to document the interactions between products in their portfolio, with each product having its own roadmap.
How to Create a Roadmap?
While there are general guidelines and multiple templates available, no fixed framework exists for creating a roadmap. As a Product Manager, you should assess the needs and outcomes of the roadmap to determine the right details to include.
A roadmap must include:
- Features of the product
- A timeline associated with the evolution of the features
A roadmap may include:
- Sprint or release timelines
- Elapsed time per item listed
- Agile teams assigned to work on the features
- Workstreams or grouping mechanisms
- Dependencies on other teams, workstreams, or external stimuli (e.g., version upgrades or regulatory changes)
- Milestones
- Prioritization
Although visual roadmaps are often more appealing, a worksheet or text document can achieve the same purpose. What matters most is maintaining the document as a living reference, helping to guide and align the organization.
Additional Notes
It is key to note that a roadmap is not the same as a project plan or a Gantt chart. A roadmap is a product management tool, primarily strategic with some tactical details. In contrast, a project plan is a project management tool that is heavily tactical and ensures that the project is completed on time, considering the effort & resources involved.
In conclusion, a product roadmap is an essential tool that guides the product development journey from inception to maturity. It helps track product progress, adapts to changes over time, and aligns the team with a shared vision. Creating and maintaining an effective roadmap can be difficult; it requires the right balance between strategy and tactical details. If your team is looking for expert guidance to develop a roadmap that drives your product’s success, reach out to our team at Perficient.
Contact us today – let’s get started on shaping the future of your product!
