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