Essay · ~10 min read

The Alternative to Roadmaps

Marty Cagan · Silicon Valley Product Group Free Advanced

Cagan makes the sharpest version of the argument: replace a list of features with a small set of outcomes you are trying to move, then let the team find the features. It is the strongest case for a roadmap as direction rather than a shipping contract. Read it when your roadmap has quietly become a promise list to stakeholders.

  • State the outcome you want, not the feature you assume will get it
  • Most roadmap features never deliver their intended result
  • Commit to a few high integrity dates, keep the rest flexible
Open on svpg.com ↗

It answers 2 questions

  1. How do I build a roadmap without over-planning?
  2. Should I share a public roadmap with my early users, or does that just create pressure and expectations I cannot meet?

Read with it

  1. Basecamp's battle-tested, opinionated system for shipping meaningful work in fixed cycles without endless backlogs, a primary... Basecamp / 37signals Book · free online book Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters Ryan Singer
  2. This is the direct answer to the pressure problem in the question: if a public roadmap scares you because of dates you cannot... prodpad.com Article Why I Invented the Now-Next-Later Roadmap Janna Bastow
  3. The inventor of Now-Next-Later goes deep with Lenny on how to run a roadmap that stays flexible without turning into chaos. She... Lenny's Newsletter Podcast · ~60 min Building better product roadmaps (Janna Bastow) Janna Bastow, Lenny Rachitsky
  4. A clear tour of roadmap styles that shows exactly why a feature by date roadmap sets you up to over promise. Torres contrasts... Product Talk Article · ~15 min read Product Roadmaps: How the Best Product Teams Plan for Uncertainty Teresa Torres
  5. The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past... momtestbook.com Book · ~130 pages The Mom Test Rob Fitzpatrick
  6. Video · ~13 min How to Plan an MVP Michael Seibel (YC)
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →