WTF is a Product Roadmap

Presented at MOBX2016 in Berlin. With many different variations, some good and some bad, a product roadmap can be elusive. This talk addresses why it is important and presents an approach to make one.

1. WTF is a Product Roadmap? C. Todd Lombardo Chief Design Strategist Fresh Tilled Soil @iamctodd
2. Bake a Cake…
3. Voila!
5. PASTRY CHEF
6. PASTRY CHEF STAFF
7. PASTRY CHEF STAFF INGREDIENTS
8. PASTRY CHEF STAFF INGREDIENTS RECIPE
9. PASTRY CHEF STAFF TOOLS INGREDIENTS RECIPE
10. PASTRY CHEF STAFF TOOLS INGREDIENTS RECIPE CAKE EATERS
11. PASTRY CHEF STAFF TOOLS INGREDIENTS RECIPE (Product Manager) (Team) (Components) (Roadmap) (JIRA, Heroku, Sketch, Swift, etc) CAKE EATERS (Users)
12. ..Without a Recipe?
13. ..Without a Recipe? I BET IT WON’T BE AS GOOD
14. PASTRY CHEF STAFF TOOLS INGREDIENTS (Product Manager) (Team) (Components) (JIRA, Heroku, Sketch, Swift, etc) CAKE EATERS (Users)
15. PASTRY CHEF STAFF TOOLS INGREDIENTS (Product Manager) (Team) (Components) (JIRA, Heroku, Sketch, Swift, etc) CAKE EATERS (Users)
16. Cake or death? Eddie Izzard A FUNNY GUY
18. Focus ◦ Make a cake, not cookies or brownies.
19. Focus ◦ Make a cake, not cookies or brownies. Alignment ◦ Everyone is on board with the cake style, flavor, and timing.
20. Focus ◦ Make a cake, not cookies or brownies. Alignment ◦ Everyone is on board with the cake style, flavor, and timing. Priority ◦ When to mix flour & eggs, bake the cake, slice the strawberries, and when you can place the candles on top
21. Focus ◦ Make a cake, not cookies or brownies. Alignment ◦ Everyone is on board with the cake style, flavor, and timing. Priority ◦ When to mix flour & eggs, bake the cake, slice the strawberries, and when you can place the candles on top Visibility ◦ How long until the cake is done? The cake needs to be ready for candles by 1:00pm.
22. Focus ◦ Make a cake, not cookies or brownies. Alignment ◦ Everyone is on board with the cake style, flavor, and timing. Priority ◦ When to mix flour & eggs, bake the cake, slice the strawberries, and when you can place the candles on top Visibility ◦ How long until the cake is done? The cake needs to be ready for candles by 1:00pm. Coordination ◦ What’s a birthday cake without candles and a song?
23. Focus ◦ Make a cake, not cookies or brownies. Alignment ◦ Everyone is on board with the cake style, flavor, and timing. Priority ◦ When to mix flour & eggs, bake the cake, slice the strawberries, and when you can place the candles on top Visibility ◦ How long until the cake is done? The cake needs to be ready for candles by 1:00pm. Coordination ◦ What’s a birthday cake without candles and a song? Visionary ◦ Maybe you need something besides a cake next year?
24. What a Roadmap is not
25. What is not a Product Roadmap
26. It is not a release plan - so leave out specific dates! What is not a Product Roadmap
27. It is not a release plan - so leave out specific dates! It is not a list of features and/or components. What is not a Product Roadmap
28. It is not a release plan - so leave out specific dates! It is not a list of features and/or components. It should not include job or user stories. What is not a Product Roadmap
29. It is not a release plan - so leave out specific dates! It is not a list of features and/or components. It should not include job or user stories. It is not a commitment. What is not a Product Roadmap
30. It is not a release plan - so leave out specific dates! It is not a list of features and/or components. It should not include job or user stories. It is not a commitment. It is not waterfall… i.e.not a Gantt Chart What is not a Product Roadmap
31. My First Roadmap…
32. Title (H1)
33. More often than not, the lack of a roadmap encourages you to do too many things not as well. Anthony Accardi CTO OF RUE LA LA
34. My 3-month Diversion…
35. Well.. WTF is it?!
36. What is a Product Roadmap? Focused on the big picture. Strategic communication artifact that conveys the path you’ll take to fulfill your product vision.
37. McCarthy-Baron Strategic Pyramid
38. Where Does it Apply?
40. Who Uses it?
41. Stakeholders
42. Stakeholders DESIGN DEVELOPMENT </> PRODUCT
43. Stakeholders EXECUTIVES & BOARD PARTNERS CUSTOMER SUPPORT ! SALES & MARKETING CUSTOMERS DESIGN DEVELOPMENT </> PRODUCT
44. How to Make a Roadmap VISION BUSINESS GOALS PRIORITIZE ROADMAP USER GOALS PRODUCT GOALS
45. Restaurants Disclaimer: this is not real!
46. Required Inputs
47. 1) Clearly defined Problem and Solution Why? You have to know what you’re doing and why, before you start thinking about where you’re going. PROBLEM SOLUTION
48. 2) Understanding of Your Users Needs Why? You need to be able to empathize with your users so you can understand and anticipate their needs. Think? Feel? Hear? See? Do? Think? Feel? Hear? See? Do? Name: Dick Age: 55 Job: Salesman Tasks: Develop trust Motivations: Happiness Obstacles: Time Name: Jane Age: 27 Job: Advertising Tasks: Create programs Motivations: Viral reach Obstacles: Superiors
49. 3) User Journeys for the Current Experience Why? You need to fully understand how they’re currently solving the problem in order to make it better for them. Jane wakes up makes coffee walks dog catches train reads paper arrives at office
50. Vision
51. When: at a time when ___________ What: [our product] is the only ___________ How: that _____________ Who: for ______________ Where: in ______________ Why: who ____________ Source: Janna Bastow
52. At a time when travel is frequent, but travelers plan less… Trip Advisor has the only international restaurant recommendation engine… that gives immediate recommendations based on location and review… for the everyday traveler… from countries all over the world… who need to save time and energy on finding local eateries.
53. Goals: Business
54. 1) Expand the customer base 2) Extend user time in app 3) Grow advertising around restaurants 4) Enhance user experience 1-5 Strategic Objectives
55. Goals: User
56. Goal #1: Goal #2: Goal #3: Goal #4: Goal #5:
57. Find a restaurant at the last minute Find a restaurant near my hotel See feedback from other patrons Find a restaurant by cuisine Make me look knowledgable to my fellow travelers Help me brag about where I’ve been
58. Goals: Product AKA Solutions
59. List of Cuisines Pictures of food by cuisine Select country of origin on a map Auto-populate search box Select flag for country of origin Ask a local Ask hotel concierge Find a restaurant by cuisine
60. List of Cuisines Pictures of food by cuisine Select country of origin on a map Auto-populate search box Select flag for country of origin Ask a local Ask hotel concierge Find a restaurant by cuisine
61. Connect BUSINESS GOALS USER GOALS PRODUCT GOALS
62. BUSINESS GOALS USER GOALS
63. BUSINESS GOALS USER GOALS PRODUCT GOALS
64. Grow advertising around restaurants Find a restaurant by cuisine Business Goal: User Goal: Product Goal: Pictures of food by cuisine + restaurant restaurant sponsored food pictures
65. Prioritization
66. Strong. Light. Cheap. Pick Two. Keith Bontrager FOUNDER, BICYCLE PARTS COMPANY
67. Best Prioritization Methods Credit. Bruce McCarthy
68. Best Prioritization Methods Your CEO’s gut Not close enough Worst Credit. Bruce McCarthy
69. Best Prioritization Methods Your CEO’s gut Not close enough Analyst opinions Mostly backward-looking Worst Credit. Bruce McCarthy
70. Best Prioritization Methods Your CEO’s gut Not close enough Analyst opinions Mostly backward-looking Popularity Most customers are small Worst Credit. Bruce McCarthy
71. Best Prioritization Methods Your CEO’s gut Not close enough Analyst opinions Mostly backward-looking Popularity Most customers are small Sales requests Change every week Worst Credit. Bruce McCarthy
72. Best Prioritization Methods Your CEO’s gut Not close enough Analyst opinions Mostly backward-looking Popularity Most customers are small Sales requests Change every week Services requests Mostly incremental Worst Credit. Bruce McCarthy
73. Prioritization is hell. Boaz Katz CEO, BIZZABO
74. Source. Boaz Katz HTTP://BIT.LY/1QWKYSL
75. Feasibility
 (technical) Desirability (human) Viability (business) Engineering Design Sales Marketing Product Managers Executives Source: IDEO
76. Feasibility (technical) Desirability (human) Viability (business) TOTALS Restaurant reviews 5 5 5 15 User expertise rating 3 4 4 11 Find restaurant by cuisine 2 4 3 9 Auto-populate search 5 2 2 9 Order of priority
77. Shuttle Diplomacy
78. I have a draft of our product prioritization for next year… Can you help me? You PRODUCT PRO
79. The Roadmap
80. Many Formats
81. Key Elements ◦ Broad time frames ◦ Themes by time ◦ Key features (optional) ◦ High-level product goals ◦ Metrics for each stage ◦ Dependencies & risks ◦ Status/stage ◦ Sales & Marketing Effects ◦ Safe harbor statement
82. Customer Facing Roadmap Q3-2016 Q4-2016 H1-2017 H2-2017 Theme A Theme C Theme D Theme E, Phase II Theme B Theme E, Phase I Theme F Source. Bruce McCarthy
83. Customer Facing Roadmap: Lean Edition CURRENT PLANNED CONSIDERING Theme A Theme C Theme D Theme B Theme E Source. Bruce McCarthy
84. Internal Facing Roadmap Q3’13 Q4’13 H1’14 H2’14 Themes Theme A Theme C Theme D Theme F Likely Features Feature 1 Feature 2 Feature 3 Feature 1 Feature 2 Feature 3 Stage Active Development Prototype Testing Discovery Discovery Metrics Ship all MVP features 10 schools 6 renew 4 say “must have” 10 schools 10 schools Dependencies & Risks Claire sick for 3 wks UX resource from Project Beetle New PM hire S&M Improved competitive position Annual industry event New regulations Source. Bruce McCarthy
85. Portfolio Roadmap Q3’13 Q4’13 H1’14 H2’14 Product Y Stage: Development Goal: Product/Launch Fit MVP Soft Launch Learn Product/Market Fit Grow Product X Stage: Introduction Goal: Product/Market Fit Product/Market Fit Scale On-Boarding Process Enhance Product Value Grow Product Z Stage: Growth Goal: 50% Sales Growth Channel Enablement Key Integrations Critical B&R UX Standardization Source. Bruce McCarthy
86. Timeframe Later Now Next
87. Now Next Later User Profile Auto-pop Search Social media API’s Map of Cuisines User Reviews and Recommendations Share with Friend Restaurant Reviews Search by City User Expertise Rating Customer Support OpenTable API
88. Extend user time in app Grow advertising around restaurants Enhance user experience Color Coding
89. Now Next Later User Profile Auto-pop Search Social media API’s Map of Cuisines User Reviews and Recommendations Share with Friend Restaurant Reviews Search by City User Expertise Rating Customer Support OpenTable API
91. Process VISION BUSINESS GOALS PRIORITIZE ROADMAP USER GOALS PRODUCT GOALS
92. Artifact ≠ Deliverable Thanks Kim Goodwin!
93. Output ≠ Outcome
94. Life is a journey, so is your roadmap
95. roadmap@ctodd.co
96. Why you do this job I don’t know, but it does explain all the beer. Product Manager’s Spouse Owner Designer Developer Credit. Bruce McCarthy
97. http://bit.ly/mobx16-roadmap SLIDES AVAILABLE HERE
98. ctodd@freshtilledsoil.com