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Product Roadmap Planning
Create and communicate a product roadmap aligned with strategy and stakeholder needs.
Ongoing / Quarterly
7 steps
Overview
A complete roadmap planning process from gathering inputs to creating and communicating a strategic product roadmap. Covers prioritization, stakeholder alignment, and roadmap formats.
Prerequisites
- Product strategy or vision defined
- Understanding of business goals
- Access to customer feedback and data
- Stakeholder availability for input
Steps
1
Gather Roadmap Inputs
1-2 weeksCollect inputs from customers, stakeholders, data, and strategy.
Prompts to use:
Deliverables:
- •Customer requests list
- •Stakeholder input summary
- •Competitive gaps identified
- •Data insights
- •Technical debt inventory
Tips:
- •Cast a wide net for inputs
- •Include sales, support, and customer success feedback
- •Review analytics for usage patterns
- •Don't commit to anything yet - just gather
2
Set Quarterly Goals
4-6 hoursDefine OKRs and goals that the roadmap will support.
Prompts to use:
Deliverables:
- •Quarterly OKRs
- •Strategic priorities
- •Success metrics
- •Goals by theme
Tips:
- •Align goals with company strategy
- •Limit to 3-5 major objectives
- •Make goals measurable
- •Get leadership buy-in on goals before roadmapping
3
Feature Prioritization
1 weekPrioritize features and initiatives using a structured framework.
Prompts to use:
Deliverables:
- •Prioritized feature list
- •RICE scores or similar
- •Must-have vs nice-to-have
- •Effort estimates
- •Dependency map
Tips:
- •Use a framework (RICE, Value vs Effort, etc.)
- •Include engineering in sizing estimates
- •Consider dependencies and sequencing
- •Be ruthless about cutting low-priority items
4
Create Product Roadmap
3-5 daysBuild the roadmap with themes, initiatives, and timeline.
Prompts to use:
Deliverables:
- •Product roadmap (Now/Next/Later)
- •Theme-based view
- •Timeline view
- •Confidence levels
- •Resource allocation
Tips:
- •Organize by themes, not just features
- •Use Now/Next/Later format for flexibility
- •Show confidence levels (high/medium/low)
- •Leave buffer for unknowns and customer requests
5
Stakeholder Alignment
1-2 weeksReview roadmap with stakeholders and incorporate feedback.
Prompts to use:
Deliverables:
- •Stakeholder feedback
- •Refined roadmap
- •Alignment on priorities
- •Trade-off decisions documented
Tips:
- •Share roadmap early for feedback
- •Explain the "why" behind priorities
- •Be prepared to defend decisions with data
- •Document trade-offs and what you're NOT building
6
Roadmap Communication
3-5 daysCommunicate roadmap to different audiences.
Prompts to use:
Deliverables:
- •Internal roadmap presentation
- •Customer-facing roadmap
- •Sales roadmap deck
- •FAQ document
Tips:
- •Tailor roadmap to each audience
- •For customers: Show themes, not dates
- •For internal: More detail and reasoning
- •Update quarterly or as priorities change
7
Roadmap Tracking & Updates
OngoingTrack progress and update roadmap regularly.
Prompts to use:
Deliverables:
- •Progress tracking system
- •Weekly status updates
- •Roadmap adjustments
- •Stakeholder updates
Tips:
- •Review roadmap progress weekly
- •Be transparent when priorities change
- •Update roadmap based on learnings
- •Don't be afraid to deprioritize or cut items