2. Intent
To improve our knowledge of Roadmaps
through collaborative exercises
so that we better understand
how products are built
3. Pre-requisites
• Have a product idea. Otherwise, most of this stuff will be abstract
• Please provide feedback. Without it, no learning is possible.
• All of us (me too) are learning. So sharing experiences and dissent is
needed.
• Please come for all the sessions. If something is boring, let me know.
• Please feel free to work with me to come up with content & course
outline.
11. So, What is a Roadmap in Our Context?
A product roadmap describes
how you intend to
achieve your product vision.
12. What is a ‘Product’?
Who are ‘Stakeholders’?
Who are ’Customers’?
13. Some More Definitions
• A product is how you deliver value to your organization’s customers.
• We use the term stakeholder to refer to all the internal and external
colleagues and partners who are involved with the product being
developed, marketed, sold, and serviced.
• We use the term customer to refer to the recipient of the value your
product provides.
15. Problems with Roadmaps
• Nobody understands why things are on the roadmap
• You are shipping a lot but don't seem to be making progress
• Fixed commitments
• Different part of the organization think and do different things
• Customers don't care about your roadmap
• Release Plan
• Analysis & estimation hell
16. Roadmaps in the Brave New World
• Nobody understands why things are on the roadmap
• You are shipping a lot but don't seem to be making progress
• Fixed commitments
• Different part of the organization think and do different things
• Customers don't care about your roadmap
• Release Plan?
• Analysis & estimation hell
17. Roadmaps in the Brave New World
• Put the organization’s plans in a strategic context
• You are shipping a lot but don't seem to be making progress
• Fixed commitments
• Different part of the organization think and do different things
• Customers don't care about your roadmap
• Release Plan?
• Analysis & estimation hell
18. Roadmaps in the Brave New World
• Put the organization’s plans in a strategic context
• Focus on delivering value to customers and the organization
• Fixed commitments
• Different part of the organization think and do different things
• Customers don't care about your roadmap
• Release Plan?
• Analysis & estimation hell
19. Roadmaps in the Brave New World
• Put the organization’s plans in a strategic context
• Focus on delivering value to customers and the organization
• Embrace learning as part of successful product development
• Different part of the organization think and do different things
• Customers don't care about your roadmap
• Release Plan?
• Analysis & estimation hell
20. Roadmaps in the Brave New World
• Put the organization’s plans in a strategic context
• Focus on delivering value to customers and the organization
• Embrace learning as part of successful product development
• Rally the organization around a single set of priorities
• Customers don't care about your roadmap
• Release Plan?
• Analysis & estimation hell
21. Roadmaps in the Brave New World
• Put the organization’s plans in a strategic context
• Focus on delivering value to customers and the organization
• Embrace learning as part of successful product development
• Rally the organization around a single set of priorities
• Get customers excited about the product’s direction
• Release Plan?
• Analysis & estimation hell
22. Roadmaps in the Brave New World
• Put the organization’s plans in a strategic context
• Focus on delivering value to customers and the organization
• Embrace learning as part of successful product development
• Rally the organization around a single set of priorities
• Get customers excited about the product’s direction
• Release Plan? A Roadmap is not a release or project plan.
• Analysis & estimation hell
23. Roadmaps in the Brave New World
• Put the organization’s plans in a strategic context
• Focus on delivering value to customers and the organization
• Embrace learning as part of successful product development
• Rally the organization around a single set of priorities
• Get customers excited about the product’s direction
• Release Plan? A Roadmap is not a release or project plan
• Analysis & estimation hell Don’t spin your wheels on upfront analysis
32. Primary Components
• Product vision – guiding principle
• Business objectives – to measure progress
• Themes – focus on outcomes instead of output
• Timeframes – broad timelines to avoid over-committing
• Disclaimer – CYA & your customer’s
33. H1 2018 H2 2018
Active Comfort Measures
RGB Lighting
Later
Bhatt Par King Vision: A world where office goers no longer suffer from health problems like RSI because
the Bhatt Par King chair Redefines comfort and safety
This roadmap is subject to change.
Customization
Objectives
- Increase unit sales
Materials
Objectives
- Reduce costs
- Increase range of variants
offered
Ruggedness
Objectives
- Reduce defects
- Reduce returns
- Increase AMC sales
34. Other Components
• Features and solutions
• Confidence
• Stage of development
• Target customers
• Product areas
• Project information
• Platform considerations
• Financial context
• External drivers
35. H1 2018 H2 2018
Active Comfort Measures
RGB Lighting
Later
Bhatt Par King Vision: A world where office goers no longer suffer from health problems like RSI because
the Bhatt Par King chair Redefines comfort and safety
This roadmap is subject to change.
Customization
Objectives
- Increase unit sales
Features
- Lumbar
- Arm Rest
- Head Rest
- Thigh Support
Materials
Objectives
- Reduce costs
- Increase range of variants
offered
Ruggedness
Objectives
- Reduce defects
- Reduce returns
- Increase AMC sales
Ash chairs expected to release
new premium product in 2019
Ask people what they want, what is their experience, if they have an idea in mind.
Picture of a map
Picture of intel or nvidia’s roadmap
Trello’s roadmap
Trello’s roadmap
Trello’s roadmap
definition
A product is how you deliver value to your organization’s customers.
We use the term stakeholder to refer to all the internal and external colleagues and partners who are involved with the product being developed, marketed, sold, and serviced.
We use the term customer to refer to the recipient of the value your product provides,
Sticky activity for everyone
Your product doesn’t get the funding, shelf space, or marketing support it needs.
You get lots of questions about the details (features, dates) on your roadmap.
You get lots of ideas for things to add to the roadmap that don’t fit with your vision (the one you haven’t clearly articulated).
Releases happen on time but don’t change any of your business KPIs (key performance indicators).
Implementing customer requests doesn’t increase customer satisfaction.
Features meet the specs without solving the problem for the customer.
Salespeople write commitments into contracts to win a deal.
Customers extract promises before they will sign.
Executives feel that date commitments are the only way to get results.
Salespeople write commitments into contracts to win a deal.
Customers extract promises before they will sign.
Executives feel that date commitments are the only way to get results.
Customers don’t use the new features you’ve worked so hard on.
Sales plateau (or decline) despite improvements and updates.
A customer confronts you with a copy of last year’s roadmap and accuses you of breaking your promises
Your release plan looks like a Gantt chart with specific delivery dates.
Your roadmap consists of a list of features and dates.
A roadmap manages outcomes, a project plan manages outputs
The roadmap includes a list of features and dates that are frequently unable to be realized.
A product team is scrambling in the last few weeks/ days toward product release.
Ask people’s whether this is enough for developing a roadmap
The vision of the company is
A world where office goers no longer suffer from the health problems like RSI because the Bhatt Par King chair Redefines comfort and safety
Ask people’s whether this is enough for developing a roadmap
The vision of the company is
A world where office goers no longer suffer from the health problems like RSI because the Bhatt Par King chair sculpts itself to fit their body
and exactly what yours looks like will depend on what you are trying to communicate and to whom.
There’s no template or boilerplate you can plug-and-play for roadmap greatness, and a standardized roadmap doesn’t work across all organizations.
Bahmni roadmap
What problem are we trying to solve
When do we plan to solve it
How do we know if it has been solved