Product and strategy
Now, next, later
Also called Now next later roadmap
A roadmap in three columns instead of dates: what the team is doing now, what comes next, and what's further out.
- Time30 to 60 minutes
- People2 to 10 people
- Steps3
What it's for
Roadmaps with dates turn into promises nobody can keep. Three time horizons say what matters without pretending to know when: the near term is detailed, the far term is a list of problems to solve, and items move left as they firm up.
Write problems and outcomes on the notes, not just features. It keeps the roadmap about why.
How to run it
List the candidates8 min
Everything the team might work on, one per note.
Place them12 min
Sort them into now, next and later. Now should be short.
Check the balance8 min
Is now realistic for the team's capacity? Move the rest out.
Tips
- Items in later are allowed to be vague. That's honest.
- Review it monthly and move things, rather than rewriting it.
Where it comes from
Created by Janna Bastow, co-founder of ProdPad, as an alternative to roadmaps with dates.
Pairs well with
User story map
Lay out what a user does from left to right, the details under each step, then slice releases across the map.
MoSCoW prioritisation
Sort requirements into must have, should have, could have and won't have this time, to agree scope against a fixed deadline.
Objectives and key results
Set an ambitious objective and three or so measurable key results that would show you achieved it.