7 Tips for Creating a Product Roadmap

As it’s a new year, you may be thinking about creating a product roadmap or refreshing your existing one.

I’ve worked with many different types of teams and organisations over the years to help them create a product roadmap and here are my top 7 tips for success:

1. Start with Your Vision

As Yogi Berra said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up somewhere else.” If you find yourself creating a product roadmap without a clear destination, take some time to think about what you want to achieve in the long term and create a vision statement. This will help to align everyone, and your roadmap can then guide your first steps toward achieving that vision.

2. Focus on Outcomes, Not Features

When creating a product roadmap, it’s tempting to churn out a wish list of features. If your roadmap starts to resemble a long feature list, take a step back and think about the outcomes you want to achieve during each time period. This might include solving a specific customer problem or increasing active user numbers.

3. Co-Create Your Product Roadmap

Involve your team, stakeholders, customers, and leadership when creating the roadmap. Engaging with these groups early makes it easier to secure buy-in, ensures nothing critical is overlooked, and prevents you from adding items that may not be technically feasible.

4. Keep It High-Level

One of the most common problems with roadmaps is that they often become overly detailed and turn into release plans or project plans. A roadmap should be high level and quick and easy to read. If you find yourself specifying who will do what or breaking down tasks below the feature level, you’ve likely gone into too much detail.  When you are creating your product roadmap try to keep it to outcomes and high level features.

5. Don’t Overthink the Tool or Format

Keep it simple and easy to read. When you are creating a product roadmap an online whiteboard, a PowerPoint slide, or a spreadsheet is usually enough. Use something that is accessible to everyone and easy to read and update. While there are many tools for creating roadmaps, if you keep it simple and high-level, you won’t need anything fancy. I prefer a straightforward format: a three-column roadmap labeled “Now,” “Next,” and “Later.”

6. Define Metrics

Defining metrics can help you determine whether you’ve achieved your desired outcomes. For each outcome in your roadmap, ask yourself, “How will I know we’ve achieved this?” Your metrics can be a mix of qualitative and quantitative.

When defining metrics, ensure they are actionable. The goal is to help guide decisions, not just measure progress for the sake of it. Keep in mind that good metrics should be specific, time-bound, and tied directly to the desired outcomes in your roadmap. Metrics provide clarity and help the team stay aligned on what success looks like

7. Stay Flexible

A roadmap shouldn’t be set in stone. As you move further into the future, uncertainty increases. As you release new features, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, which may lead to adjustments. External factors such as market shifts, customer needs, or new technologies can also prompt changes to your roadmap.

Flexibility is key to keeping your product roadmap relevant and valuable. A rigid roadmap can stifle innovation, leaving your team stuck pursuing outdated goals. Instead, treat your roadmap as a living document – one that evolves based on feedback, data, and learnings from each release.

Remember, your first draft of the product roadmap doesn’t need to be perfect. Use it as a communication tool for your team, stakeholders, and customers. Make time regularly to review your metrics and update the roadmap as needed.

If you need some help with creating a product roadmap feel free to get in touch with us for a free no obligation chat.