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Product Roadmap

What is a product roadmap?

A product roadmap is a high-level view of where the product is heading and what you plan to do over time. It communicates direction, priorities, and (optionally) timing so the team and stakeholders are aligned. It’s not a full project plan or a fixed list of features with dates.

Use it when: you need to align people on direction and priorities and to manage expectations about what’s coming. Update it as you learn; keep it readable at a glance.

Copy/paste template (now / next / later)

  • Now: What we’re working on this quarter (or sprint). Outcomes or themes, not every ticket.
  • Next: What we plan to do after that. Still high level; may shift.
  • Later: Ideas or themes we might do; no commitment.

Add a short “why” or outcome per theme so it’s not just a feature list. Optionally show rough time horizons (e.g. Q2, H2) without locking exact dates for every item.

Why product roadmaps matter

  • Aligns the team and stakeholders on direction and priorities.
  • Connects work to product strategy and outcomes.
  • Manages expectations by making “in scope” and “out of scope” visible.
  • Provides a shared reference for planning and communication.

What a good product roadmap includes

Checklist

  • [ ] Outcome or theme focused – “Improve onboarding” or “Reduce time to first value”, not only a list of features.
  • [ ] Tied to strategy – the roadmap supports your product and business goals.
  • [ ] Realistic – reflects capacity and uncertainty; avoid over-promising.
  • [ ] Living – updated when priorities or learning changes; not a one-off document.
  • [ ] Clear audience – internal vs external; level of detail matches the audience.

Common formats

  • Now / Next / Later: simple and flexible; good for fast-changing teams.
  • Theme-based: groups of work by outcome or theme (e.g. “Trust and safety”, “Activation”).
  • Time-based: quarters or horizons (e.g. Q1–Q4). Use when you need to coordinate with other plans; keep dates flexible where possible.

Examples

Example (the realistic one)

Now (Q1): “Improve sign-up and first run” – outcome: higher activation. Key work: simplified sign-up flow, one in-app guide. Next (Q2): “Billing clarity” – outcome: fewer billing disputes. Key work: clearer invoices, self-serve export. Later: “Mobile app”, “API for partners”. No dates for Later; we’ll prioritise when we get there. Each theme has a one-line outcome so stakeholders see the “why”.

Common pitfalls

  • Feature list with dates: roadmap becomes a promise of every feature by a fixed date. → Do this instead: use themes and outcomes; keep dates at a high level or use ranges.
  • Never updated: roadmap is stale and ignored. → Do this instead: review at a regular cadence (e.g. monthly or per quarter) and adjust.
  • No link to strategy: it’s unclear why these things matter. → Do this instead: tie each theme to a product strategy goal or outcome.
  • Too detailed: looks like a project plan. → Do this instead: keep the roadmap high level; detail lives in the backlog and feature prioritisation.
  • Roadmap vs backlog: the backlog is the full list of work; the roadmap is the subset and order that shows direction. Backlog is detailed; roadmap is summary.
  • Roadmap vs strategy: product strategy is the “why” and “where”; the roadmap is the “what” and “when” that supports it.
  • Roadmap vs release plan: a release plan is about what ships in which release; a roadmap is about direction and themes. They can align but serve different purposes.

Next step

If you don’t have a roadmap, draft a simple Now / Next / Later with one outcome per theme and share it with the team. If you have one, check it’s tied to product strategy and update it with the latest priorities.

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