Roadmapping
Roadmapping is a strategic process that outlines the plans, goals, and actions that will guide a product over time. It visualizes the direction, priorities, and progress of a product, providing a common understanding for all stakeholders. A roadmap is a living document that changes as the product evolves, market conditions shift, and new insights are gained. It's a tool for communication, coordination, and consensus-building.
Example
Building off the previous example from āPrioritizationā, the same Product Manager at the ride-sharing company has prioritized the development of a new earnings dashboard, an enhanced navigation system, and an in-app chat with riders, in that order.
The Product Manager works with their Engineering Manager and Design Lead to estimate how long it would take to build each feature using the Product Spec, Product Requirement Document (PRD), or similar. Each Manager estimates how long their area would take to complete, typically getting input from others. They use a Gantt chart view to show the estimated start and end dates for each feature's development. In a more complex example, each feature would be broken down into more manageable sub-features and outlined from there. Here's a simplified version of what the roadmap might look like:
``` Feature, Start Date, End Date
New Earnings Dashboard, Aug 01, Oct 01
Enhanced Navigation, Oct 02, Dec 01
In-App Chat with Riders, Dec 02, Feb 01
```
This roadmap provides a clear picture of when each feature is expected to be developed and released, helping to align the team and manage stakeholder expectations. However, the Product Manager understands that this roadmap is not set in stone. They will need to revisit and update it regularly, based on factors such as changes in business priorities, user feedback, and development progress.
Pain Points
Creating a roadmap that balances strategic goals with practical realities can be challenging. It's also important to manage the expectations of stakeholders who may have different views on what should be prioritized. Keeping the roadmap updated as things change can also be a time-consuming task.
While this is an example of a roadmap for a single Product Manager and team, the company would have multiple Product Managers all working on their own areas and sharing a companywide roadmap that would show the direction of the product organization. There is often dependency between teams that require a shift in priorities. For example, if weāre going to allow users to book in advance for the first time, the work could need to be shared across the various teams that own the app experience, website experience, and underlying booking functionality and API. Typically, the product department is collaborating with the marketing department and other business departments (legal, drivers, etc) to meet a deadline that was based on initial product estimations and external company pressures.
Practical Exercise
Think about a product or project you're familiar with. What are its key features or initiatives? How would you sequence them on a roadmap? Consider factors such as strategic importance, user needs, and resource availability.
Related Research Topics
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