Creating a product roadmap that can aid flexibility and change over time requires careful planning. In this article I’ll show you how to set about defining any type of roadmap starting with a completely fresh slate.

The starting point for all roadmaps is to bring together all the various ideas you and your colleagues have about new product lines. This can incorporate marketing concepts, business development strategy plans, new technologies, new customer segments that have been defined, etc. This can initially seem a little overbearing.

It is usually down to the product manager or chief technical officer to start organizing these ideas according to target markets. This is done in order to start defining individual products for each market. It also facilitates filtering out markets if they are deemed not to have a large enough customer base/penetration rates that would offer a suitable return on investment. Sometimes it’s also the potential competition that can put you off entering the market.

This then limits your product roadmap down to specific markets and product lines. You should formulate what lines to focus on initially that target short-term goals. Long-term goals can be added which include architectural decisions or different variations in product lines that will be considered in the long-term.

The product roadmap can then be reviewed by other management and employees within your company. Ideas or changes can be refactored or altered in due course. In reality, the product manager has the sole responsibility of administering the product roadmap. Over time your initial draft will grown changes new technologies and markets become available.

If this product roadmap is intended for a small startup company then it is essential that you focus in on one or two lines for short-term goals and also spec out long-term opportunities you foresee. This shows that you’ve carefully considered your product lines and target markets.