End result-based product roadmaps provide many advantages over conventional, feature-based ones together with a powerful deal with the worth a product ought to create. However how are you going to introduce this new strategy when an organisation is used to feature-based plans and stakeholders discover it tough to belief an outcome-based roadmap? To handle this problem, I introduce a four-step course of on this article.
Take heed to the audio model of this text:
Conventional vs End result-based Roadmaps
Earlier than I share the 4 steps, let me briefly describe the primary variations between a conventional, feature- and an outcome-based product roadmap. A conventional roadmap is actually an inventory of options, that are mapped onto a timeline. Such a plan may work if there’s little uncertainty, change, and innovation current, and you may appropriately predict what the product ought to appear to be and do. However in right this moment’s fast-changing digital product area, that’s infrequently the case. Utilizing a feature-based roadmap that fixes the product performance for the following, say, twelve months due to this fact dangers making a product that gives the mistaken performance and creates little worth for the customers and clients.
Thankfully, a distinct roadmapping strategy has emerged lately: outcome-based, goal-oriented product roadmaps like my GO Product Roadmap. As a substitute of figuring out options, you before everything take into account the precise worth the product ought to create—the outcomes it ought to obtain. These may embody buying new customers, lowering churn, rising engagement, bettering conversion, and lowering growth time and value by eradicating technical debt. To place it in another way, as a substitute of focussing on what must be delivered, you ask why it’s worthwhile progressing the product.
Nevertheless, I discover in my teaching work that administration and enterprise stakeholders may be very hooked up to feature-based plans and anticipate to see roadmaps that state when a characteristic might be delivered. In such a scenario, it may be an enormous ask to let go of detailed, feature-based plans and belief an outcome-based, goal-oriented product roadmap. If you end up in the same scenario, then apply the 4 steps, that are proven within the infographic beneath and defined within the the rest of this text. (You’ll be able to obtain the infographic by clicking on it.)
Step 1: Set an End result-based Objective for the Subsequent Three Months
To get began, set a single, outcome-based aim for the following three months. An instance for an internet store is perhaps “enhance conversion by 5%.”[1] Make it possible for the aim states the optimistic affect you wish to make on the customers/clients and the enterprise. Keep away from the pitfall of setting feature-based targets, reminiscent of “prioritise the search outcomes” or “enhance the search algorithm.” Suppose why, not what. Moreover, make sure that the aim is particular and measurable so that you could clearly inform if it has been met.[2]
Be sure you contain the key stakeholders and growth crew representatives within the goal-setting course of. This helps you leverage their data, it creates transparency and robust alignment, and it maximises the possibilities that they are going to observe the aim.[3] Intention to attain consent. Which means that no person concerned within the goal-setting course of has any significant objections in opposition to the aim.
A good way to have interaction the people is to ask them to a collaborative workshop, which can happen onsite or on-line.[4] Ask a talented facilitator to run the session particularly when the attendees don’t know one another effectively and the extent of belief is low. This frees you from having to facilitate and permits you to deal with setting the best aim.
Step 2: Use the End result to Decide the Options
With a particular, measurable, and outcome-based aim in place, decide the options that need to be delivered to fulfill the aim. A sensible approach to obtain that is to focus the product backlog on the end result.
Begin by eradicating any backlog gadgets, which aren’t required to create the specified end result. Delete or archive them. Then decide how the product has to vary to fulfill the aim. Does the consumer expertise need to be tailored? Do you must add or change any performance? Do you must meet new or enhanced non-functional necessities together with compliance requirements? Are bug fixes and structure refactoring work required to attain the end result?
Decline any characteristic requests that don’t show you how to meet the aim. Use the end result as your determination device and keep on with it—except it turns into invalid. Don’t make the error of accepting a characteristic to please a stakeholder or keep away from a tough dialog. Saying no is an element and parcel of a product particular person’s job, as I focus on in additional element within the article 5 Ideas for Saying No to Stakeholders.[5]
Step 3: Overview the Method
On the finish of the three months, evaluate how the brand new strategy has labored for you. What went effectively and what didn’t? Did you handle to fulfill the aim? How useful was utilizing the agreed end result to find out the product options? To what extent do administration and enterprise stakeholders assist an outcome-based roadmap?
If the strategy was considerably however not solely profitable or the extent of assist remains to be low, repeat steps one and two and set one other aim for the following three months. Take into account what you are able to do in another way this time to be extra profitable. Do you have to, for instance, contain the stakeholders extra intently within the goal-setting course of? Do you have to do a greater job of focusing everybody on the end result? Do you have to be extra ruthless and decline characteristic requests that don’t match the aim?
If the strategy was profitable and administration and stakeholders assist it, you might be able to take step 4.
Step 4: Construct an End result-Primarily based Product Roadmap
Having efficiently used an outcome-based aim to find out the product options places you in an ideal place to set outcomes for the following six to 12 months and construct an outcome-based product roadmap utilizing a template like my GO Product Roadmap proven beneath. You’ll be able to obtain it along with a useful guidelines by clicking on the picture.
The template above locations the outcomes on the centre of the roadmap. It makes use of chosen options. However these should assist meet the targets. Moreover, they need to be coarse-grained and are restricted to a few to 5 capabilities per aim. You’ll be able to be taught extra about utilizing the GO Product Roadmap by watching this YouTube video.
However earlier than you construct your outcome-based roadmap, make sure that a legitimate product technique exists. Such a technique ought to state the customers and clients who will profit from the product, the wants the product will tackle, the enterprise advantages it can provide, and the standout options which can set it other than competing choices—which is especially necessary for industrial merchandise. A helpful template to seize the technique is my Product Imaginative and prescient Board.
As soon as a legitimate product technique is out there, use it to find out the best roadmap outcomes. To attain this, you’ve got two choices, as I clarify in additional element in my ebook Strategize: First, you possibly can derive the roadmap targets instantly from the wants and enterprise targets by breaking them into subgoals. Second, you need to use your key efficiency indicators (KPIs) to find outcomes reminiscent of rising engagement and lowering churn—so long as these are aligned with the wants and enterprise targets within the technique.
Lastly, don’t overlook to contain the important thing stakeholders and growth crew representatives within the roadmapping work. As described in the first step, invite the people to a collaborative workshop and co-create the product roadmap. It will show you how to make the best roadmapping selections and generate sturdy buy-in.
Notes
[1] For simplicity’s sake, I exploit a business-focused aim for instance somewhat than a compound one which covers a consumer/buyer and a enterprise profit. Whereas I are inclined to desire the latter, each strategies work—as lengthy you state the affect you wish to obtain.
[2] In case you use targets and key outcomes, OKRs, then you possibly can view the aim as an goal, see my article OKRs and Product Roadmaps. Equally, in the event you apply a Scrum-based course of, you possibly can regard the end result as a product aim, as I focus on within the article Product Objectives in Scrum.
[3] Involving individuals within the goal-setting course of makes it extra probably that they are going to work in direction of the end result, so long as you attentively hearken to their recommendations and considerations, as I clarify in additional element in my ebook The right way to Lead in Product Administration.
[4] In case you work with an prolonged product crew, which consists of the particular person in control of the product, dev crew reps, and key stakeholders, then invite the crew members to the workshop, see my article Constructing Excessive-Performing Product Groups.
[5] In case you can not decline a characteristic request, you lack the mandatory stage of empowerment to do an efficient product administration job, see my article 3 Empowerment Ranges in Product Administration.
