Let's talk about Product Roadmaps: Part I

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One of the main tools in the Product Manager toolbag is the Product Roadmap. Once a product conception is healthy enough, one should be drafted up, but what is it?

A product roadmap is a high-level visual summary that outlines the direction and strategy for a product over a specific period of time. It typically includes a list of features or deliverables, the priority of each item, and the target release date. The roadmap is used to communicate the product vision and strategy to stakeholders and to align the team on the goals and priorities for the product. The PRM is likely originated from wireframe or MVP discussions, then over time evangelized by the Product Manager.

The first question should be: Does this effort require a product roadmap? Have you and your team done enough initial questioning of the problem, have you achieved *product market fit? Have you validated all your key hypotheses and are your initial assumptions proving? Can you articulate the product and what it solves in simple terms? If the answer is yes, then fire up the roadmap process.

*Product market fit is the crucial alignment of a product’s capabilities with the needs and desires of its target market. It is the defining moment of success for a business, as it signifies that there is a strong demand for the product and that it is capable of fulfilling that demand with excellence.

What is the first key element to consider when crafting a PRM? I can’t stress this enough. You are not, and should not be making and crafting the PRM on your own… own it? sure but you don’t live in a vacuum. You should be bringing in all the key stakeholders that have both output and input values. Like all things, your PRM should be iterative and in those iterations, you are involving key stakeholders for critical inputs. Examples of key stakeholders both in and out of the cross-functional team are: Sales, Marketing, Project Managers, Product Owners, and Engineers.

Having all the right players at the game can save you from some embarrassing GTM (Go To Market) flops.

So now you’re ready — in Roadmaps P-II I’ll dive into the successful product roadmap elements and lay out my wireframe.

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