6 Techniques for Prioritizing Roadmaps

Part 4 - Successful Roadmaps Series

Prioritizing a product roadmap can be a challenging process, particularly when you have limited resources and competing demands. To ensure that you're making informed decisions about which features or items to prioritize, it's essential to use a range of techniques. Here are some of the most effective techniques for prioritizing a product roadmap:

1. Impact vs. Effort: This technique involves evaluating each feature or item on your roadmap based on two factors: its potential impact on customers/business success and the effort required to develop it. By plotting these factors on a matrix, you can identify high-impact/low-effort items as top priorities.

2. Cost of Delay: This technique involves estimating the cost of delaying each feature or item on your roadmap in terms of lost revenue, missed opportunities, or increased risk. By comparing the cost of delay against the development effort required, you can prioritize items with high costs of delay.

3. Kano Model: This technique involves categorizing each feature or item into one of three categories: basic needs (must-haves), performance needs (nice-to-haves), and delighters (unexpected extras). By prioritizing items that meet basic needs first and then focusing on performance needs and delighters, you can create products that meet customer expectations while also exceeding them.

4. RICE Scoring: This technique involves scoring each feature or item based on four factors: reach (how many users will be affected), impact (how much will user behavior change), confidence (how certain are we about the outcomes) and effort (how much time/resources will it require). The resulting score helps in deciding which features to prioritize.

5. User Feedback: This technique involves gathering feedback from users/customers about their preferences and priorities for new features/items. By using surveys, focus groups, or other methods to collect feedback, you can get valuable insights into what matters most to your target audience.

6. Business Value vs Technical Debt: This technique involves evaluating each feature/item based on both its business value (revenue growth potential) and technical debt (the amount of work needed to maintain it). Prioritizing items with high business value but low technical debt can help ensure sustainable growth over time.

By using these techniques when prioritizing your product roadmap – businesses can make informed decisions that balance customer satisfaction with revenue growth potential while taking into account resource constraints effectively.