8421bit/niopd-skills/niopd-pd-roadmap

Product Roadmap Skill

This skill creates visual product roadmaps using Mermaid Gantt diagrams to communicate delivery timelines.

Theoretical Foundation

Roadmap Types

Key Principles

1. Outcomes over outputs: Focus on goals, not just features
2. Flexibility over precision: Acknowledge uncertainty
3. Alignment over detail: Ensure shared understanding
4. Communication over planning: Roadmap is a communication tool

When to Use

• Quarterly planning
• Executive presentations
• Team alignment
• Customer/partner communication
• Resource planning

Instructions

Step 1: Gather Inputs

• PRD or initiative documents
• Prioritized backlog
• Resource availability
• External dependencies
• Strategic timeline constraints

Step 2: Define Timeframe

• What period does the roadmap cover?
• Quarterly? Annual? Multi-year?
• What's the right level of detail?

Step 3: Group by Theme/Goal

• What strategic themes organize the work?
• How do features map to goals?
• What outcomes are we driving?

Step 4: Estimate Durations

For each item:

• Start date (or dependency)
• Duration (weeks)
• Dependencies

Step 5: Generate Mermaid Gantt

gantt
    title Product Roadmap [Period]
    dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
    
    section Theme 1
    Feature A :a1, 2024-01-01, 4w
    Feature B :a2, after a1, 3w
    
    section Theme 2
    Feature C :b1, 2024-01-15, 6w
    Feature D :b2, after b1, 2w

Step 6: Add Milestones

Include key dates:

• Release dates
• External events
• Dependencies

Step 7: Generate Document

File path: 04-plans/[YYYYMMDD]-roadmap-v0.md

Contents:

1. Roadmap Overview
2. Strategic Themes
3. Feature Timeline (Mermaid)
4. Key Milestones
5. Dependencies
6. Assumptions and Risks

Output Specifications

• File Naming: [YYYYMMDD]-roadmap-v0.md
• Location: 04-plans/
• Template: references/roadmap-template.md

Related Skills

• niopd-st-rice: Feature prioritization
• niopd-pm-release: Release planning
• niopd-pm-dependencies: Dependency mapping
• niopd-st-okr: Outcome alignment