What IS a product roadmap anyway?
A product roadmap is a strategic plan that outlines the vision, direction, and priorities for a product over time. It’s important because it aligns teams, communicates the product’s goals to stakeholders, and ensures everyone is working towards the same objectives.
In this post, I’ll outline up-to-date strategies for building effective product roadmaps, using examples from niche product companies, and conclude with best practices you can implement straight away.
Before jumping into the ‘how’ it is worth calling out a few things – what makes a great product roadmap, do you really need one?, what’s a good way to start (by looking at some examples) and then a few best practice items.
One thing that I really do want to stress is that you must not think there is a silver bullet for creating a product roadmap. And also that a product roadmap is not itself the silver bullet! A lot of silver bullets. All I’m trying to say is that a product roadmap is a TOOL to HELP you get somewhere. But more often than not that tool will have to flex, adapt and change along the way.
What makes a Great Product Roadmap?
A product roadmap is more than a list of features; it’s a strategic narrative. A successful roadmap should:
- Align with company goals: Ensure the roadmap supports overall business objectives.
- Be customer-driven: Prioritise features or initiatives based on validated customer needs.
- Balance vision with reality: Include ambitious goals alongside deliverables achievable in the short term. (more on that later!)
- Enable prioritisation: Help teams make trade-offs by clearly communicating priorities.
- Communicate effectively: Use visuals, themes, and timeframes that resonate with stakeholders.
Strategies for Building a Product Roadmap
1. Start with Strategic Themes
Themes help articulate the “why” behind the roadmap. Rather than listing features, group initiatives into themes such as “Improving onboarding,” “Expanding integrations,” or “Reducing churn.”
Example:
Superhuman (THE email client for power users) structured its roadmap around themes like “Speed,” “Focus,” and “Delight.” Every release enhanced one or more of these pillars, keeping the product aligned with its unique value proposition.
2. Use a Prioritisation Framework
Adopt frameworks like RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) or the Kano Model to evaluate features. This ensures resources are allocated to initiatives with the highest return on investment. Why bother? Unless you want a design by committee mess then adhering to SOME sort of framework democratises the process.
Example:
Zapier uses a weighted prioritisation model to decide which integrations to build next. By analysing the popularity of requested tools and the technical complexity of integrations, they ensure high-impact delivery.
3. Incorporate Customer Feedback and Data
Blend qualitative insights (user interviews, NPS surveys) with quantitative data (usage analytics, conversion rates). This ensures the roadmap reflects real user needs rather than assumptions.
Example:
Figma consistently integrates user feedback into its roadmap. Its introduction of “Plugins” was heavily influenced by demand from the design community, validated through surveys and feedback forums.
4. Leverage the How-Now-Wow Framework for Prioritisation
The How-Now-Wow framework is a simple but effective way to categorise initiatives based on feasibility and innovation:
- How: High-effort, high-reward ideas requiring research or innovation.
- Now: Low-effort, high-impact initiatives that can be delivered quickly.
- Wow: High-impact, innovative ideas that are feasible with current resources.
This framework encourages teams to balance quick wins with longer-term innovation.
Example:
Buffer, a social media scheduling tool, uses a mix of “Now” (tweaks to improve usability), “How” (exploratory AI integrations), and “Wow” (game-changing features like predictive scheduling) to maintain momentum while driving innovation. I love this framework because it connects things like bugs to items that you can start to work on to deliver SOME value and then also can incorporate the crazy vision of the future too.
5. Communicate with Visual Clarity
Visual roadmaps resonate more than text-heavy documents. Tools like Productboard, Aha!, and Roadmunk help create visually intuitive roadmaps.
Best Practices for Building Product Roadmaps
Here’s a quick checklist to keep your roadmap impactful:
- Start with goals: Align initiatives with business objectives (e.g., revenue growth, market expansion).
- Focus on outcomes, not outputs: Highlight the value a feature delivers, not just what will be built.
- Be transparent with stakeholders: Share the “why” behind prioritisation decisions to build trust.
- Stay flexible: Revisit and adapt the roadmap regularly as new data emerges.
- Use themes to create a narrative: Group features into strategic focus areas to communicate a compelling vision.
- Leverage feedback loops: Use analytics, surveys, and interviews to ensure alignment with customer needs.
- Avoid overloading the roadmap: Less is more. A cluttered roadmap confuses priorities. I’ve been guilty in the past of buckling to CEO pressure and literally chucking everything but the kitchen sink into a roadmap – terrible idea. Be realistic and then some!
- Balance innovation and maintenance: Include both new features and improvements to existing functionality.
Making a Start
Creating a product roadmap can feel daunting, but breaking it into manageable steps ensures clarity and focus. Here’s a straightforward process to help you build your roadmap from scratch, along with a recommended tool to streamline the process.
Step-by-Step Process for Building a Roadmap
- Define the Vision and Objectives
- Clarify your product’s long-term vision.
- Identify measurable objectives that align with business goals, such as increasing user retention or expanding into a new market.
- Gather Insights
- Collect data from multiple sources:
- Customers: Use surveys, interviews, and support tickets to identify pain points and desires.
- Teams: Collaborate with marketing, sales, and engineering to understand dependencies and opportunities.
- Analytics: Examine usage metrics and trends to spot opportunities for optimisation.
- Collect data from multiple sources:
- Create Strategic Themes
- Group related initiatives into themes that reflect overarching priorities, such as “User Retention,” “Scalability,” or “New Features.”
- Prioritise Initiatives
- Use a framework like RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) or the How-Now-Wow matrix to rank initiatives based on their potential value and feasibility.
- Draft the Roadmap
- Place initiatives into timeframes (e.g., quarters or sprints). Ensure a mix of:
- Quick wins (Now): Deliver immediate value.
- Innovative projects (Wow): Drive long-term differentiation.
- Exploratory ideas (How): Lay the groundwork for future improvements.
- Place initiatives into timeframes (e.g., quarters or sprints). Ensure a mix of:
- Validate with Stakeholders
- Share the draft with key stakeholders for feedback. Be prepared to explain the rationale behind prioritisation decisions.
- Communicate and Share
- Present the roadmap in a clear, visual format that’s easy for all stakeholders to understand. Highlight the goals, priorities, and timelines.
- Review and Iterate Regularly
- Revisit the roadmap every quarter or as new data and insights emerge. Keep it flexible to adapt to changing priorities.
Recommended Tool: Aha!
Aha! is an excellent tool for building and managing product roadmaps. It allows you to:
- Align initiatives with strategic goals.
- Create visually engaging roadmaps that can be tailored for different audiences (e.g., internal teams vs. external stakeholders).
- Use built-in prioritisation frameworks to rank features and initiatives.
- Collaborate with teams through comments, tasks, and real-time updates.
Other options to consider include Productboard for customer-centric roadmaps or Roadmunk for visually flexible roadmap creation.