The process of defining a roadmap is arguably one of the most difficult but important things a product manager has to do. Far too often roadmaps are built without the complete picture in mind, without the right timing, in silos, or are misdirected. How then can we ensure we’re doing it right? Is there really such a thing as an agile roadmap? This talk will draw from lessons learnt building product to provide practical tips and techniques enabling you to understand roadmap inputs, plan with different perspectives in mind, optimise for learning, communicate and set roadmap goals as well as find agility when the landscape around you changes. Products covered: Confluence

1. iPhone app
Social sign-up
G+ Integration
Value Cost
Q3 FY17 ROADMAP
Referral program
7 6
4 5
1 8
8 2

2. Q3 FY17 ROADMAP
VALUE
COST
iPhone app
Social sign-up
G+ Integration
Referral program

3. SHERIF MANSOUR • PRODUCT GUY • @SHERIFMANSOUR
The art of building
a roadmap

4. Understand your inputs
Roadmapping — three ways
The art of building
a roadmap

6. Roadmap = set of decisions

7. Good decisions are made by first
knowing your inputs

8. FEEDBACK
CHANNELS
Company
goals
PRODUCT
VISION
BUSINESS
MODEL
VISION
THEMES
FOCUS AREAS
MEASURES

9. FEEDBACK
CHANNELS
PRODUCT
VISION
BUSINESS
MODEL
VISION
THEMES
FOCUS AREAS
MEASURES
Behind the Cloud
salesforce.com/behindthecloud
Company
goals

10. FEEDBACK
CHANNELS
PRODUCT
VISION
BUSINESS
MODEL
Company
Products
Roadmaps
OKRS
VISIONTHEMESFOCUS AREASMEASURES
OKRS OKRS OKRS
V
T
F
M
Company
goals

11. FEEDBACK
CHANNELS
Product
vision
BUSINESS
MODEL
Company
goals
What the future looks like and
what impact you’ll have when you get there

12. FEEDBACK
CHANNELS
Product
vision
BUSINESS
MODEL
Test “customer satisfaction”
requests against your vision
Company
goals
VISION
FEATURE
REQUESTS

13. FEEDBACK
CHANNELS
BUSINESS
MODEL
Building on the Shoulders of Giants:
the Story of Bitbucket Pipelines
James Bryant (Now!, Check it out on YouTube)
Company
goals
Product
vision
Lightning talk: Tips for painting a
vision
Sherif Mansour (1:50pm, tomorrow)

14. FEEDBACK
CHANNELS
Business
Model
FEATURE A
VS
FEATURE B
wanted by lots of
small customers
a big, high-profile
customer wants this
Company
goals
Product
vision

15. Feedback
channels
Company
goals
Product
vision
Business
Model
For each channel:
Source
Qual/quant
Useful for…
Watch out for…
Cost (time)
Weighting

16. The test: newbie product manager
Company
goals
Product
vision
Business
Model
Feedback
channels

17. Goal driven

18. Solution
Metric
Problem
Goal driven
make
money
user press button

19. Solution
Metric
Problem
Goal driven
bit.ly/pmdevinabar

20. Metrics as goals: A good metric
Lean Analytics
leananalyticsbook.com
Understandable1
2 Comparative
3 Ratio / rate
4 Behaviour changing

21. Metrics as goals: Beware
Lack of counter-metrics“Trial-and-error” approach

22. Create

23. Create …
Blank pages
Templates, and all the fancy stuff

24. # PAGES / USER
EDITOR FEATURES
TEMPLATES

25. Be data informed, not data
driven…
Good product design comes
from striking the right balance
between data, empathy and
intuition.
“
Alastair Simpson, Atlassian
bit.ly/data-informed

26. Metrics
Metrics as goals

27. Problems
Over Metrics
Problems as goals

28. Teams that fall in love with a
problem have more successful
outcomes than teams that fall in
love with particular solutions.
“ …knowing that a problem is worth
solving continues to be motivating
even when a team doesn’t come
across the right solution…
Julie Zhuo, Facebook
bit.ly/buildingproduct

29. Frictionless page creation
for advanced users*
Create …

30. shortcuts
adaptive design
“frequently used”
…
preferences
Frictionless page creation
for advanced users*

31. Is there such a thing as an
agile roadmap?

32. Is there such a thing as an
agile roadmap? Yes, when you…
Focus on problems

33. Is there such a thing as an
agile roadmap? Yes, when you…
Group problems into themes
Focus on problems

34. Plan for “now”, “next” & “someday”
Is there such a thing as an
agile roadmap? Yes, when you…
Group problems into themes
Focus on problems

35. Agile roadmaps are
problem driven

36. Build roadmaps around problems
Goal driven
roadmaps
Data informed, not data driven
Roadmap agility: problems and themes, not features

37. Persona driven
Goal driven

40. “The Homer”

45. Personas are

46. Personify
(allthethings)

47. resize table columns

48. resize table columns

49. “The accountant”
“The design wall”“The cheap layout”
“The basic”

50. Better decisions1
Improved understanding2
Refined success metrics3
Anticipate feedback4
Personify (allthethings): Why?

51. Persona or role driven roadmaps focus on the user
Persona driven
roadmaps
Personas drive roadmap decisions
Personify features, not just users

52. Persona driven
Goal driven

53. Vision driven
Persona driven
Goal driven

54. You only evaluate a product
once.
“ Said me
Atlassian Summit 2016

56. bit.ly/roadmapbox

57. bit.ly/roadmapbox
Hero shot
Tent-pegs

58. Lay tent pegs: Example

59. PEOPLE EVENTS
PROJECTS
12
MAY
RSVP

60. Lay tent pegs at the
expense of table stakes

61. Build-a-box
Vision driven
roadmaps
Lay your tent pegs
Tradeoff table stakes for tent pegs

62. Vision driven
Persona driven
Goal driven

63. The art of building a roadmap
INPUTS
ROADMAPPING
Your roadmap is a set of decisions
Goals, vision, business model and feedback channels
Goal driven (solutions, metrics, problems)
Persona driven (by persona, by role, personify features)
Vision driven (lay tent pegs, paint visions and boxes)
Thanks!
@sherifmansour