{"id":127805,"date":"2020-12-07T10:00:40","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T07:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-dos-and-donts-of-creating-your-product-roadmap\/"},"modified":"2020-12-07T10:00:40","modified_gmt":"2020-12-07T07:00:40","slug":"the-dos-and-donts-of-creating-your-product-roadmap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-dos-and-donts-of-creating-your-product-roadmap\/","title":{"rendered":"#The dos and don\u2019ts of creating your product roadmap"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a38baae2b7d3\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a38baae2b7d3\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-dos-and-donts-of-creating-your-product-roadmap\/#The_dos_of_building_a_roadmap\" >The dos of building a roadmap<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-dos-and-donts-of-creating-your-product-roadmap\/#The_donts_of_building_a_roadmap\" >The don\u2019ts of building a roadmap<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-dos-and-donts-of-creating-your-product-roadmap\/#The_dos_and_donts_of_communicating_the_roadmap\" >The dos and don\u2019ts of communicating the roadmap<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-dos-and-donts-of-creating-your-product-roadmap\/#One_more_do_and_dont\" >One more do and don\u2019t<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#The dos and don\u2019ts of creating your product roadmap<\/strong>&#8221;<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/icons8-product-roadmap-team-startup-gq-796x417.png\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n                                <span>You wouldn\u2019t start a cross-country drive without a roadmap (or GPS), and neither should you attempt product development without one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A product roadmap is what connects the near-term product changes to the mid-term strategic milestones and the long-term vision. It communicates the sequencing of priorities and helps you plan all your product-based initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But many leaders are confused about what goes into a product roadmap. Ultimately, there is no right answer: different types of roadmaps suit different companies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>They can show lots of detail or very little; they can be intentionally scr<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>y or highly organized with color-coding, iconography, team associations, and more. We\u2019ve seen them printed on ten-foot-wide poster paper and contained on a simple Google Sheet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While there is no \u201cbest way of making a roadmap,\u201d there are a few dos and don\u2019ts that can guide you in crafting your roadmap document.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_dos_of_building_a_roadmap\"><\/span><span>The dos of building a roadmap<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Let\u2019s start with the dos.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Do<\/b> clearly categorize specific roadmap initiatives. Based on our experience, we\u2019ve realized that all product development activities can be placed into one of three categories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Innovation (making progress towards the vision)<\/li>\n<li>Iteration (getting better results from what you\u2019ve already built)<\/li>\n<li>Operation (maintaining your product and running your business)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If possible, on top of categorizing each initiative, communicate the allocation target for each category to remind the audience the level of investment that was agreed upon.<\/p>\n<p><b>Do<\/b> paint a picture far enough in the future that it helps other teams to plan accordingly. For example, marketing may need to start working on communication plans for a large product release well in advance.<\/p>\n<p><b>Do<\/b> clarify the rationale behind the work you\u2019re planning on doing. The problems you are solving, the value you are attempting to create, and the key outcomes you are trying to deliver are often more important than the features you currently intend to build.<\/p>\n<p><b>Do<\/b> leave room for plans to shift. Development timelines are notoriously difficult to predict in advance. As you experiment and validate assumptions through customer discovery, you will want to be able to react to what you learn, and the roadmap should allow for that.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_donts_of_building_a_roadmap\"><\/span><span>The don\u2019ts of building a roadmap<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>And now the don\u2019ts, which are just as important as the dos.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Don\u2019t<\/b> try to predict development plans so far ahead that you\u2019ll almost certainly change them before you get there. Offering this false precision is a common way to erode trust between product and the rest of the company.<\/p>\n<p><b>Don\u2019t<\/b> worry about providing the same level of fidelity for every team. It\u2019s okay for the roadmap to have a \u201cragged edge\u201d in which some items are better understood than others, or some teams\u2019 plans extend farther into the future than others.<\/p>\n<p><b>Don\u2019t<\/b> make commitments that are unnecessary or that are unlikely to actually be met. <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a>ly speaking, it\u2019s better to avoid feature-date pairs unless there\u2019s a specific business reason the date is as important as what actually ships.<\/p>\n<p><b>Don\u2019t<\/b> get in the habit of playing roadmap Tetris to force as much in as possible. It\u2019s far better to under-commit and over-deliver than vice versa, and you\u2019ll need some buffer to accommodate the ripple effects when development doesn\u2019t go according to plan or critical feedback comes in.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_dos_and_donts_of_communicating_the_roadmap\"><\/span><span>The dos and don\u2019ts of communicating the roadmap<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Building the roadmap is only the first step. After that, you need to share it with all the stakeholders. Here are some dos and don\u2019ts for how to most effectively communicate your roadmap.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Do<\/b> share it with your executives first, because if you get buy-in from leaders in the organization, they can help build agreement and excitement about its contents with the rest of the employees.<\/p>\n<p><b>Don\u2019t<\/b> present it to the whole company at once. Each major group within the company will have different needs and concerns.<\/p>\n<p>By presenting to each group separately, you can best address these needs and concerns and help everyone get what they need out of the presentation. We recommend having separate meetings for each of the following groups:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>Engineering, QA, Architecture<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Sales and marketing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Account management, customer success, and customer support<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Everyone else not in those groups (HR, finance, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Don\u2019t<\/b> be boring. Your presentation quality matters tremendously, and it\u2019s your job to make your presentation engaging. Use charts and other visuals.<\/p>\n<p><b>Do<\/b> create a system for answering questions and getting feedback. Some of this can be done in the presentation meetings. However, some people don\u2019t feel comfortable asking questions or offering feedback in front of others, so also consider conducting anonymous surveys after the presentations.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"One_more_do_and_dont\"><\/span><span>One more do and don\u2019t<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>We\u2019ll leave you with one final do and one don\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Do<\/b> dedicate the time and resources to creating a roadmap. It\u2019s one of the most important documents guiding your company\u2019s actions and initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>But <b>don\u2019t <\/b>stress about making a \u201cperfect\u201d roadmap. The best roadmaps evolve and develop with the company and serve to spark the right conversations about priorities.<\/p>\n<p><span>Whether you opt to build a highly detailed, organized roadmap with color-coding and more, or a broader, intentionally rough one, following these dos and don\u2019ts will help ensure that you craft and share your roadmap in an effective way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-post-pubDate\">\n                                    Published December 7, 2020 \u2014 07:00 UTC\n                                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script data-src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;appId=378011798897423&amp;version=v2.6\" id=\"socialSrcFacebook\" type=\"text\/template\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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It communicates the sequencing of priorities and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":127806,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/growth-quarters?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/12\/icons8-product-roadmap-team-startup-gq.png&signature=a6eea0edb1441bcc496af7ed1a55940f","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127805"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127805\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/127806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}