Aligning your team around the product roadmap for the upcoming quarter

Do you have your 2019 Q4 roadmap ready yet?

September just started, which means that the fourth quarter of 2019 is less than a month away. If your organisation (like most companies) plans in calendar quarters, now is a good time to get your product roadmap updated, too. And this is where shipit can help you get your roadmap prioritised, your team aligned, and your plans visualized.

Here’s the steps you want to follow:

• First, check back on your Q3 roadmap and verify how you are doing with those. Move any items of Q3 you want to reschedule to Q4 or later.
• Then do an initial pass over the items you see relevant for Q4
• Next, invite your stakeholders (your team, or your leadership, etc.) to discuss the initial list of items for Q4.
• Change the priority of items based on that feedback. Also, remove irrelevant items, and add additional items that came out of the discussion with your team.
• Make sure to write at least initial product requirements for each of the Q4 items.
• Make a final check that all roadmap items and product goals align with your company goals (for example with OKRs).
• Finally, present the Q4 roadmap to the team and stakeholders before September 30!

This process ensures that everyone is aligned around the priorities for the company and the product as you enter the next calendar quarter. You can also see, how the product manager’s job is often a coordinating and facilitating one.

Now that your roadmap is prepared, it’s time to enter execution mode for the next 2 months or so, until we re-prioritise the roadmap for Q1 2020. Of course, you will also always update and refine the roadmap for all quarters during the quarter.