What is a product roadmap
Product roadmap is created at the beginning of product development. It is a list of features with execution timeline.
A product roadmap outlines the vision, direction, priorities, and progress of a product over time. It’s a plan of action that aligns the organization around short- and long-term goals for the product or project, and how they will be achieved.
From a product roadmap, development team can create a list of follow-up todos, detailedly analyze the priority and execute the core features first.
Why it's vital
Product roadmap is essential for some reasons
1. Remove the uncertainties Having a product roadmap is like having a blueprint of what todo. Developers don't have to worry about what's coming up next. People know their job, how to get there and what to prepare for each point.
2. Budget planning and Resource allocation With product roadmap, developers can calculate the necessary effort for each milestones, and arrange the right resources.
For products that rely on foreign/external investment, product roadmap is what you show to investors and asking for the right budget amount.
3. Priority Product roadmap keeps the team on track. Also, the roadmap list out features based on priority level. Developement team can look it up and select out which one to build. It forms a consensus withint and outsie the team. The teammates agree on product feature, and the user knows which one to expect.
The structure
1. Product Description Describe what and how the product functions. It portraits the product overview at themost basic concept.
2. Product Goal Explain what type of isse this product resolves. How different it will be before and after using the product.
3. Product Feature The most important part: What features this product have to meet the functions mentioned in Product Description. Each features must come with a use. Based on the Product Goal, developers will choose the align feature to finish.
4. Estimated Timeline The schedule that helps to measure the execution progress and make sure each feature get shipped out on time.
5. Product Milestone A product development process must be divided into milestones. It break the large goal into smaller achievements. By doing this, teammate can actively arrange their time and effort to meet the goal effectively.
