This document provides guidance on developing a product vision, strategy, and roadmap. It emphasizes the importance of setting a clear vision shared by all stakeholders, developing a product strategy aligned with business goals, and creating a roadmap that tells the story of the product's evolution over time. Key aspects of an effective roadmap include focusing on goals rather than features, keeping it simple, gaining collaboration and buy-in, and regularly reviewing and adjusting the roadmap.

1. July 12 2016

2. RESOURCES
Most of the information being delivered has been
pulled from Roman Pichler
(http://www.romanpichler.com/)

3.  Setting EXPECTATIONS
 Aligning stakeholders
 Team(s)
 Clear Goals
 True understanding of Product and Deliverables

4.  British Government Agency let people suggest name for new
$287M Polar Research Vessel
 Lessons Learned:
 Be Honest about asking for advice.
 If you ask for advice, be prepared to take it.
 If you ask for advice, be prepared to say NO.
 If you don’t take advice, be clear about why.
 Be clear about your expectations and why you are asking for
advice!

5. Vision
Product
Strategy
Product
Roadmap

6.  Guide for everyone involved in making the product a success.
 The ultimate reason for creating/maintaining product.
 Helps to attract the right team and the right customers.

7.  Should not be a plan, but the motivation for developing the
product.
 Everyone must have the same vision – Shared Vision
 Keep it short and sweet!
Example of Vision Board
(http://www.romanpichler.com/tools/
vision-board/)

8. 2 companies are merging, let’s call them Nelnet and Great
Lakes to create a company, let’s call it GreatNet. GreatNet is
poised to be the sole servicer for federal student loan servicing.
Federal Student Aid (FSA) helps America’s families access
higher education as they meet the needs of 35 million borrowers.
With this comes the desire to have all functions managed on a
single servicing platform, to provide all borrowers with a
standardized, high-quality user experience.

9. Vision
Product
Strategy
Product
Roadmap

10.  The high-level plan to the vision
 Describes who the product is for and why people would want it
 What the business goals are and why the company would
invest
 Changes as your product changes
 Provides input for the Product Roadmap

11.  Start with what you KNOW now
 Focus on what matters MOST
 Use the Vision Board previously listed. Moving from Left to Right
 Collaborate
 Change and update your vision board

12.  Put it to the TEST
 You can do further interviews with specific target groups
 May turn out to be WRONG…Changing the Strategy is called
a PIVOT
 Other tools to help with Product Strategy:
 Business Model
 Lean Canvas

13. Vision
Product
Strategy
Product
Roadmap

14.  Describes how the product is likely to grow
 Facilitates learning and change
 Helps communication around product development
 Aligns the product and company strategy
 Helps set expectations for stakeholders, development,
marketing, etc.
 Strategic vs Tactical (Product Backlog)
 Owned by the PO
 Supports the Product Strategy and ultimately the Vision!

15.  Based on shared goals rather than features
 Mitigates conflict for Agile teams who only commit a few
weeks at a time

16.  Focus on goals and benefits – Product Strategy
 Tells the story of your product
 Keep it simple – Epics, User Stories, Designs belong in the
Backlog not Roadmap
 Collaborate – creates shared ownership and buy-in
 Say NO!
 Dates or NO Dates – Look at your audience
 Measurable – Goal level KPI’s
 $$$ - Look at skills possibly needed and how many people
 Review and Adjust

18.  Roadmap is a GUARANTEE
 High level plan based on what you know TODAY
 Epics and User Stories
 Wishful Thinking

19.  Do you have a VISION?
 Do you have a PRODUCT STRATEGY?
 Do you have a ROADMAP?
 Are you revisiting these things? If so, how often?