A great product starts with a vision, but without a clear roadmap, even the best ideas can quickly lose direction. A product roadmap is more than just a schedule of upcoming features—it’s a strategic tool that helps teams align priorities, manage expectations, and ensure that every step contributes to the product’s success.
However, prioritizing a roadmap isn’t easy. How do you balance long-term business goals with immediate development needs? How do you handle shifting priorities and stakeholder demands without derailing progress?
To answer these questions, I spoke with Sandro Bujan, a Product Owner with extensive experience in roadmap planning, to learn how to structure, prioritize, and adapt a roadmap that truly drives success.
Why a product roadmap is key to success
A product roadmap is the backbone of any successful product strategy. It provides a clear direction, ensuring that every team member—from developers to executives—understands the priorities and long-term vision.
"A roadmap is essential because it gives teams focus, aligns stakeholders, and ensures transparency throughout the development process. Without a roadmap, teams tend to react instead of plan, which leads to slower progress and lower product quality." – Sandro
A well-structured roadmap also reduces miscommunication. When priorities are documented and communicated, it prevents unnecessary meetings, last-minute changes, and misaligned expectations. It also gives stakeholders confidence in the team, as they can see the big-picture strategy rather than reacting to day-to-day feature requests.
But having a roadmap isn’t enough—it also needs to be well-prioritized, adaptable, and aligned with business goals. That’s where strategic planning comes in.
How to align roadmaps with business goals (and when to adapt)
One of the biggest challenges in roadmap planning is ensuring that short-term tasks contribute to long-term business goals. A roadmap shouldn’t just be a task list—it should be a strategic plan that helps the product move toward a defined vision.
To prioritize effectively, Sandro uses the MoSCoW Method, which categorizes tasks into four levels of importance:
Must have (M) – Core features without which the product wouldn’t function.
Should have (S) – Important features that improve the product but can be delayed if needed.
Could have (C) – Nice-to-have features that will be implemented if resources allow.
Won’t have (W) – Features that aren’t a priority for the current roadmap but might be reconsidered in the future.
"MoSCoW helps us separate urgent needs from nice-to-haves, ensuring we stay focused on what truly matters." – Sandro
Beyond prioritization, roadmaps must be flexible. Market changes, customer feedback, and shifting business needs can require adjustments along the way. But when should you stick to the roadmap, and when should you adapt?
Stick to the roadmap when: The team is aligned, the plan is well-structured, and changes would disrupt progress without clear benefits.
Adapt the roadmap when: Business priorities shift, user feedback reveals a major gap, or external factors (like regulations or market trends) force a change in direction.
"You can’t blindly follow a roadmap—it’s a guide, not a rigid rulebook. The key is knowing when to pivot while keeping the product’s core vision intact." – Sandro
Successful roadmap planning requires a balance between structure and flexibility. Teams need a plan, but they also need to be ready to adjust based on data and real-world developments.
The step-by-step process of creating a product roadmap
Sandro follows a step-by-step approach to ensure roadmaps are realistic, aligned with business needs, and adaptable when necessary.
1. Gather insights from stakeholders and market research
Before defining priorities, it’s essential to understand the landscape. This means collecting insights from:
Internal stakeholders (executives, marketing, sales, customer support) to align business objectives.
Users & customers to identify pain points and opportunities.
Market trends & competitors to stay ahead in the industry.
"We always start by defining problem statements—who has a problem, what that problem is, and why solving it matters. This keeps our roadmap focused on solving real user needs instead of just listing features." – Sandro
2. Define priorities using the MoSCoW method
After gathering data, Sandro categorizes initiatives using the MoSCoW framework (Must, Should, Could, Won’t) to separate mission-critical features from lower-priority tasks.
This step ensures that the roadmap focuses on delivering core value first while keeping flexibility for future enhancements.
3. Set a time frame for the roadmap
The length of a roadmap depends on the product and its development cycle. At Devōt, we typically plan for 12 months, though shorter projects may have roadmaps aligned with their completion timeline.
"The roadmap should provide a clear view of the next year but remain flexible enough to adapt as new priorities emerge."
4. Document and visualize the roadmap
Once priorities and timelines are set, the roadmap is documented in a structured format so that all teams can access and follow it. Common formats include:
Theme-based roadmaps – Focus on broad product areas rather than specific features.
Timeline-based roadmaps – Define when key features will be developed and released.
Goal-driven roadmaps – Focus on achieving specific outcomes rather than shipping features.
5. Present and align with stakeholders
Before implementation, the roadmap is shared with all relevant teams (development, design, marketing, sales, etc.) to ensure everyone understands the vision and their role in executing it.
"We don’t just create the roadmap and forget about it. We continuously review it to make sure we’re still on track and adjusting for changes as needed."
Tools to build a clear and actionable roadmap
Having the right tools makes roadmap planning easier, more collaborative, and transparent. Sandro and his team use a mix of tools depending on client preferences and project needs:
Confluence – A great tool for documenting and sharing roadmaps in a centralized, accessible format.
Figma – Useful for visualizing roadmap structures in an interactive and easy-to-understand way.
Miro – Perfect for brainstorming, prioritizing features, and creating high-level roadmap visuals that teams can collaborate on in real time.
"Miro isn’t as important as how well the roadmap is communicated and maintained. The best roadmap is the one that’s actively used, not just stored in a document no one checks." – Sandro
A well-documented roadmap is only valuable if it’s kept up to date. That’s why regular reviews and updates are crucial to ensuring it reflects the latest priorities and strategic shifts.
The biggest challenges in roadmap planning (and how to overcome them)
Even with the best processes in place, roadmap planning isn’t without its challenges. Sandro shares some of the most common obstacles and how to tackle them:
1. Unrealistic deadlines
Clients or stakeholders often push for aggressive timelines that don’t account for technical complexity or resource constraints. The solution? Clear expectation management and data-driven estimations.
"We work closely with our tech leads to get accurate time estimates and always add a 20% buffer to account for unexpected challenges."
2. Frequent strategy changes
It’s common for businesses to pivot their priorities mid-project, but this can derail an entire roadmap. The key is to stay flexible but structured—ensure that core objectives remain intact while adapting where needed.
3. Too many requests, not enough resources
With multiple stakeholders, everyone wants their feature to be a priority. This is where MoSCoW prioritization helps ensure that the most critical work gets done first.
"We document risks and potential issues clearly, so stakeholders understand the trade-offs involved in prioritization."
By addressing these challenges, teams can stay on track without getting overwhelmed by shifting demands.
But, how do you prioritize when stakeholders have conflicting demands?
A major part of a Product Owner’s job is navigating competing priorities. Sandro shares his approach:
Clearly define business goals – Align every request with overarching product objectives.
Use data for decision-making – Rely on historical project data, user feedback, and market analysis to justify prioritization.
Be transparent – Explain why some features are delayed or deprioritized.
"Stakeholders appreciate honesty. If you explain why something isn’t feasible now, they’re more likely to accept it rather than feel ignored."
By maintaining open communication and a structured decision-making process, prioritization becomes easier and stakeholders feel heard—even if their request isn’t implemented immediately.
The consequences of a poor or non-existent roadmap
What happens when a product team operates without a roadmap or with a poorly planned one? According to Sandro, the effects can be frustrating and costly:
1. Lack of clarity
Teams don’t know what to work on next, leading to wasted time and misalignment between teams.
2. Constant meetings and last-minute changes
Without a roadmap, decision-making becomes reactive, and teams spend more time in meetings trying to define priorities on the fly.
3. Loss of stakeholder trust
Clients and executives feel disconnected from the process, leading to lower confidence in the product team’s ability to deliver results.
"A roadmap gives teams and stakeholders a shared vision. Without it, projects become chaotic, timelines slip, and trust erodes."
Advice for first-time product roadmap planners
For those new to product roadmap planning, Sandro offers some key takeaways:
Start simple – Don’t overcomplicate your first roadmap. Focus on the essentials.
Make it a living document – A roadmap is a guide, not a rigid plan. Be prepared to adapt.
Prioritize based on value – Focus on user impact, not just business demands.
Communicate constantly – Keep stakeholders engaged and informed to prevent surprises.
"A roadmap should serve the product, not the other way around. It’s a tool to help you deliver the best product possible—not something to follow blindly." – Sandro
By focusing on user needs, business goals, and flexibility, even first-time roadmap planners can create an actionable, high-impact plan that drives real results.
