How can you apply road mapping frameworks across industries?

1 Why road mapping frameworks matter

Road mapping frameworks are not just templates or formats for presenting your product plans. They are also methods and principles for defining, prioritizing, and communicating your product strategy and roadmap. Road mapping frameworks help you answer questions like: What problems are you solving? Who are you solving them for? How will you measure success? What are the key features and milestones? How will you handle uncertainty and change? By using a road mapping framework, you can create a clear, coherent, and compelling story for your product, and align it with your business objectives and customer needs.

2 How to choose a road mapping framework

When it comes to road mapping, there is no one-size-fits-all framework. However, certain factors can help you choose the best one for your situation. These include the level of uncertainty and complexity in your industry and market; the type and scope of your product; and the stage and maturity of your product. For example, if you are in a fast-changing or highly competitive industry, you may need a more agile and flexible framework like the Now-Next-Later or Opportunity Solution Tree, which allows you to adapt to changing customer needs and market trends. On the other hand, if you are building a platform or suite of products, you may need a more comprehensive framework like the Product Tree or Product Portfolio. And if you are launching a new product or entering a new market, then an exploratory framework such as the Lean Canvas or Business Model Canvas may be more suitable, as it can help you validate assumptions and test product-market fit before committing to a long-term roadmap.

3 How to adapt a road mapping framework

When choosing a road mapping framework for your industry and product, you may need to adapt it to fit your specific context and goals. Customize the elements and terminology of the framework to match your product and industry, and adjust the time horizon and granularity of the framework to match your product lifecycle and planning cycle. Additionally, align the framework with your product vision and strategy, as well as stakeholder expectations and feedback. For instance, if you have a clear and stable product vision and strategy, you may use a road mapping framework that reflects and reinforces them. On the other hand, if you have a vague or evolving product vision and strategy, you may use a road mapping framework that helps you discover and refine them while involving your stakeholders in the process.

5 How to learn more about road mapping frameworks

Road mapping frameworks are powerful and versatile tools that can help you create and communicate your product roadmap across industries. However, there are plenty of other resources and techniques to enhance your road mapping skills and knowledge. For instance, you can read books and blogs on road mapping and product management such as Product Roadmaps Relaunched by C. Todd Lombardo, Bruce McCarthy, Evan Ryan, and Michael Connors, or The Art of Product Management by Rich Mironov. You can also take courses and workshops like Product Roadmap Master by Product School or Roadmapping for Product Managers by Pragmatic Institute. Additionally, joining communities and networks of road mapping and product management professionals like the Product Management Club on LinkedIn or the Product Roadmap Community on Slack is a great way to stay informed.