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Outcome-Based Product Roadmaps

Build a product roadmap around outcomes, not a list of features with dates: tie every theme to a business objective, use Now / Next / Later instead of promises, prioritize with a transparent scoring method and win buy-in from executives, sales and engineering. Practice on CatChow and other product teams. Based on ideas from Product Roadmaps Relaunched by C. Todd Lombardo, Bruce McCarthy, Evan Ryan and Michael Connors.

Free3 lessons~1 h 41 min of learning

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  1. Module 1

    Why roadmaps need a relaunch

    What a roadmap is for and how it differs from a release plan, why outcomes beat outputs, and the five primary components of a roadmap.

    1. 1.1What a roadmap is (and isn't)Why a feature list with dates fails as a roadmap, what a product roadmap is actually for, and how it differs from a release plan, a backlog and a Gantt chart.~33 min
    2. 1.2Outcomes over outputsThe difference between what a team ships and what changes because of it, how to climb from a feature request to a measurable outcome, and the traps that make an outcome useless.~33 min
    3. 1.3Anatomy of a roadmap: the five primary componentsThe five parts every useful roadmap needs (product vision, business objectives, themes, timeframes and a disclaimer), what each one does, and Sofia's first one-page roadmap for CatChow.~35 min
    Module examComplete 3 more lessons to unlock

  2. Module 2

    The why behind the roadmap

    Gathering inputs from the market, customers and stakeholders, writing a product vision and value proposition, and setting business objectives with key results.

    1. 2.1Gathering inputs: life cycle, market, customers, stakeholdersComing soon
    2. 2.2Product vision and value propositionComing soon
    3. 2.3Business objectives and key resultsComing soon

  3. Module 3

    From needs to themes

    Expressing customer needs as themes, choosing timeframes and a disclaimer instead of dates, and adding features, stage of development and confidence.

    1. 3.1Customer needs as themesComing soon
    2. 3.2Timeframes and the disclaimer: Now / Next / LaterComing soon
    3. 3.3Going deeper: features, stage of development, confidenceComing soon

  4. Module 4

    Prioritizing with evidence

    Why gut feeling fails, how scoring frameworks such as value vs effort and RICE work, and how to make trade-offs and say no.

    1. 4.1Why gut feeling fails: criteria and biasComing soon
    2. 4.2Scoring frameworks: value vs effort, RICE and friendsComing soon
    3. 4.3Trade-offs and saying noComing soon

  5. Module 5

    A living roadmap

    Winning alignment and buy-in, presenting the roadmap to different audiences, and keeping it fresh as things change.

    1. 5.1Alignment and buy-in with stakeholdersComing soon
    2. 5.2Presenting the roadmap to different audiencesComing soon
    3. 5.3Keeping it fresh and rolling it out in the organizationComing soon