Creating a Product Roadmap

Product Roadmapping

After the product vision is set, the next step is to create the product roadmap. This is again the responsibility of the Product Owner (PO). PO should schedule a session with the scrum master and the team members for the roadmapping exercise. It is ideal to have a subject matter expert and key stakeholders in the meeting. If the executive sponsor could attend, it would be the best. Key guidelines for the roadmapping meeting:

• Duration- Set it up for 4 hours or up to the entire day depending on the number of people attending it with the option to release people if needed. Plan it for longer than what one thinks it would be needed.
• Identify the themes- Themes are simply groupings of features or functionality needed for the product. Depending on the requirements, Admin management tool will have the user and access management, marketplace management and subscription management.
• Prioritize themes- It may not be linear. Early in the project, one may build the initial reporting database and then stop while the team builds other pieces line subscription management
• Create initial backlog of stories- With PO leading it, arrive at the initial list of stories. One key thing to remember about the roadmap is that it's only an estimate. As learned in other project methodologies, trying to predict the future too far in advance can have disastrous results.

In In Scrum, be careful to represent the roadmap as an estimate of completion, not a committed timing for delivery. As the team executes the sprints, this roadmap will be updated as they learn more. The roadmap is a living document that will guide the team through to completion. When executed well, the roadmapping session solidifies the stakeholders' understanding of your project and their alignment behind the project.