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Roadmap Your Way To
Success
By Joe Daniels
What’s The Point?
1
Roadmaps allow you to plan out where you’re going, keep your company aligned, and motivate your teams to reach your goals.
There are so many demands, ideas, and insights from both inside and outside your company, from prospects to customers to team members.
You need a way of organizing these.
Who Uses The Roadmap?
2
In the past, roadmaps have been reserved for product teams.
They were used to make sure product managers knew where
they were headed.
But the world of SaaS is centered on product. So all teams should
have access.
Every team member should have access to your roadmap so that
everyone understands where your organization is heading and
how you’ll achieve your goals.
Stakeholders should also have
access. Anyone in a position of
authority should participate,
until you’re all on the same
page.
3
All About The Data
4
Data makes the roadmapping world go round.
There are three main sources of data you should be using to
build your roadmap.
Market Demand
5
Your market demand should inform your short term initiatives.
Use your Sales team to figure out what prospects are looking for,
and use that information to shape your product decisions.
Your Leadership should also be aware of how to counter any
developments made by competitors.
Internal Teams
6
Your teams will all have unique perspectives, and therefore
ideas, on how to improve your product.
Their insights will help you to figure out how to make your
product work better.
Customers
7
Your customers, more than anyone, know what they want from
your product. They’re the ones using it.
It’s important to segment this data in line with your current
objectives.
Eg. If you’re trying to attract Enterprise clients, then listen to
what your high-paying clients have to say.
It’s A Matter Of Time8
Short TermNOW THEN
Generally they should last approximately 90 days, which is
roughly a quarter of the year.
This is a feature-based level, focusing on what you’re adding to
your product, and how you’ll implement those additions.
Medium TermNOW THEN
This is much broader, and as a result is more flexible. It covers
the general themes and ideas as opposed to fixed initiatives.
A lot of this will be subject to change.
Long TermNOW THEN
At this level we know our company’s overall vision and goal, but
it’s too soon to know how to get there.
You could view this as being an extension of your mission
statement.
On The Roadmap9
Themes:
Adding different themes to
your roadmap enables
everyone to take something
away from it.
Your themes should align with
your company strategies.
10
Features:
Including features you plan on
building ensures everyone
knows how the product will
develop.
It also provides transparency.
11
Goals:
There’s no harm in including
goals on your roadmap. It’s
good for employees to see the
bigger picture, and where their
efforts can help with achieving
your aims.
12
Tips And Tricks13
Don’t add dates. They’re seen as a commitment which you
may not be able to fulfill.
Keep it strategic and high-level. Use something like “Current”,
“Near Term”, and “Future” instead of fixed dates.
Post-It notes might be good for remembering the odd thing
but they aren’t as accessible as an open, online roadmap.
A Little Story...14
Economist, John Maynard Keynes, was known for being open to
change. One conversation with Winston Churchill went as
follows:
“I’m coming round to your point of view.”
“Sorry to hear it. Have started to change my mind.”
15
16
Your strategy should be steady, everything else should change.
Key Takeaways:
● Roadmaps allow everyone in your company, and your customers, to see where you’re heading. They also provide a way to organize your feedback.
● The roadmap should be used by everyone in your organization.● Three sources of data go into your roadmap:
○ Market Demand.○ Internal Teams.○ Customers.
● Your roadmap can be split into short, medium, and long term, with varying degrees of detail.
● Roadmaps should include planned features, themes, and overall goals.
Thanks for Reading!
Photo Credits1: https://pixabay.com/en/school-pen-great-pointed-leave-93200/2: http://www.kvnonews.com/2015/07/reforms-urged-in-nebraska-police-lineup-procedures/3: https://pixabay.com/en/steak-embers-bbq-barbecue-meat-1750222/4: https://unsplash.com/search/data?photo=t5BvA-Q_m_Y5: https://unsplash.com/search/market?photo=zEc_vUtZ8tY6: https://unsplash.com/search/inside?photo=qyvm0zXdKYE7: https://unsplash.com/search/customers?photo=Sx4u3gRaMhE8: https://unsplash.com/search/time?photo=p3Pj7jOYvnM9: https://unsplash.com/search/map?photo=vfzfavUZmfc10: https://unsplash.com/search/theme?photo=He9WQV8e7Kk11: https://unsplash.com/search/construction?photo=8Gg2Ne_uTcM12: https://unsplash.com/search/goals?photo=YtLAiN5YJ-813: https://pixabay.com/en/magic-conjure-conjurer-cylinder-2034146/14: https://pixabay.com/en/book-read-literature-old-learn-1740512/15: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill16: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Maynard_Keynes
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