Main Takeaways: - Stakeholders as your first customers - how to be effective when other teams know more than you - Using insight as a tool - combine techniques to shape your own approach - Using external validation methods - bringing an outsiders view to your roadmap

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How to Build a Product Roadmap by
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10. Graham Ralls
T O N I G H T ’ S S P E A K E R

11. search/marketing
local search
publishing
ecommerce
telco
housing/services
My roadmaps
2003
today

12. search/marketing
local search
publishing
ecommerce
telco
housing/services
2003
today
global
publishing
platform
established US
subscription business
multiple sites & services
My roadmaps

13. So why own it?

14. 1. Stakeholders are
your first customers

15. Stakeholders as customers
· They know more than you
· They’re expecting something
· They have perceptions of the product (and PMs)

16. Interview them
· List them, group them, interview them
· Extract their goals / assumptions / timings
“Are things getting better?”
· Go wide (sponsors)
· How do they like to communicate?

17. Example: Right sizing broadband

18. Interview sales, marketing , design, engineering
+ hardware team / networks / analytics
✓ how the problem arose
✓ the full journey
✓ the most appropriate language
✓ business constraints/challenges
“customer’s buying too little bandwidth”

19. · Fake Press Release & FAQs
· Mock ups
· Success measurements
· Product approach (1 slide)
· First sprint + blog post
Outputs for your Stakeholders

20. 2. Insight is your
friend

21. · Stats with application
· Aim is to remove risk
· Answer real life questions
Product insight?

22. · Reiterate what is known about your,
...customers, experiences, goals
· Do you stand by these as your own?
· Do these represent productivity or success?
e.g. session duration
Sense check current insight

23. Does each roadmap item
incorporate these?

24. · Combine techniques, fill in your understanding
· Excel, GA, surveys, heat maps, AB tests
· Mark with agree or investigate
· Make it visual
Fill in the gaps
25%
65%
HP
30%
10%
direct
referrers 60%
80%

25. · Articulate - every stat shared should have why
e.g. Brochure downloads x2.5 times conversion
...try GA time lag report
Insight = value

26. · Reiterate stats + your inputs
· Be clear: every stat should provide value
· Can shift from conversion to intent
Recycling the insight
+ =

27. Reprioritise your
roadmap!

28. 3. Using external validation

29. · Experts on the past
· Projects of all shapes and sizes
· Quotes
“we need better users!”
“took a whole team, a whole weekend”
“the strategy hasn’t been agreed yet”
Teams around you

30. · Your are nearer to a user
· Benefits of being a newbie
· Shall we fix it or remove it?
e.g. search filters
Being an outsider

31. · Use outside industries
· Dispel myths (e.g. fewer clicks = conversion)
· Who is doing it well?
e.g. sharing
Who is doing it well?

32. · Introduce to de-risk where possible
· Or, refine testing where needed
e.g. Do no harm / go for it!
Post: Testing without p values (Matt Gershoff)
A test it culture

33. You’re ready!

34. ✓ You have the group’s expectations
✓ Value metrics that everyone understands
✓ Narrative of your new roadmap and why
Let’s rewind that...

35. · It’s a learning phase so be receptive
· Disrupt your beliefs
· Great opportunities to enhance
perceptions
· Chance to sell your roadmap
Don’t forget...

36. Thanks!

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