Well, if you don’t know where you are going, how will you get there?
Just like you need a map (now GPS) to get to a new destination, you need a map to help you chart a course for your product and business, whether you are a #startup or not.
When you use a map for getting from point A to B, you usually do just that. A and B are already determined.
When creating a product and building a product business, you know your A, but B can evolve and change over time in response to your growth, market conditions and more.
This means that a product roadmap has to be a working document. It must account for what you want to achieve, your capacity to build and also a response to changing market conditions and your business goals.
The product roadmap must also align with your short term and long term goals. Items on the roadmap must be detailed to have stories or specs for immediate work and serve as a guide for longer term direction. In some cases it must also allow for R&D, experimentation and maintenance.
That’s a lot!