Features can shift greatly from quarter to quarter. A smart roadmap focuses on themes instead. Themes define what’s important to your customers at the present time. They generally remain the same over time. Example:
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Theme: Address key usability issues
Theme: Indestructibly
Theme: Stability and scalability
Note the lack of granular features like “Fix fonts in Spanish language version.” I talk themes in Chapter 5 of my book Product Roadmaps Relaunched. Agree? Disagree? Tell me a story.
Speaking of themes...
Product Culture’s Coach Phil Hornby will be leading an open discussion for CPOs on Roadmaps: Escaping the Feature Factory, January 18. He will explain when it’s okay ─ and not okay ─ to put a feature on your roadmap, tying it all back to a clear strategic context and outcomes. Register here.