Are you tired of feeling like your product roadmap is as confusing as a game of Jenga played by a group of drunk toddlers? Well, fear not my friend, because Trello is here to save the day! With Trello, you can finally say goodbye to the chaos and hello to a clear and concise roadmap that even those drunk toddlers could understand (although we don't recommend involving them in your product planning sessions).
In this article, we'll show you how to build a Trello roadmap that will have your team and customers saying "Wow, this roadmap is so good, it's almost as impressive as your Jenga skills." So, grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine, we won't judge) and let's get started!
A product roadmap is a high-level visual summary that maps out the vision and direction of a product. It outlines the planned features, objectives, and milestones for a product over a specific period of time, typically 6-18 months.
A product roadmap aims to align the team around the product vision and strategy and to communicate that vision and strategy to stakeholders such as customers, investors, and executives. A product roadmap is not a detailed project plan but a high-level overview that can evolve as the product and market grow.
This guide will explain how you create your Trello product roadmap. You can also go for a more professional approach using a dedicated roadmap tool such as ProductLift.
Trello is a project management and collaboration tool that allows you to organize and prioritize your work and projects. It is based on the concept of a "kanban" board, a system for visualizing and organizing work.
This sounds familiar if you are into Agile because the Scrum Board is a Kanban Board.
In Trello, you create "boards" for different projects and create "cards" to represent tasks or ideas. You can then organize these cards into "lists" and assign them to team members or add labels to them to categorize them. This is also how we will make your Trello product roadmap.
Trello is highly customizable and can be used for various purposes, including SaaS product management, event planning, and team collaboration.
Here is an example of a Trello product roadmap:
A product roadmap provides a clear overview of the product and helps to align the team around the product objectives and strategy.
A product roadmap can also help to identify dependencies, potential risks, and key decision points. It is a valuable tool for communicating the product plan to stakeholders, such as executives, customers, and investors and gaining their buy-in and support.
A SaaS roadmap can also help track progress and identify any deviations from the plan. A roadmap can help ensure the product stays on track and delivers the intended business value.
A roadmap is a high-level overview of the planned direction and progress of a product or project, while a project plan is a detailed document that outlines the specific steps and resources needed to complete a project.
A roadmap typically covers a longer time horizon, usually 6-18 months, and is focused on the major milestones and deliverables. It is a high-level visual summary that helps align the team around the product or project vision and strategy and communicates that vision and strategy to stakeholders.
On the other hand, a project plan is a more detailed document that outlines the specific tasks, resources, and timeline for completing a project. It typically covers a shorter period, such as a few months or less, and includes a detailed breakdown of the work required to complete the project. A project plan is used to manage and track the project's progress and to identify any deviations from the plan.
In summary, a roadmap is a high-level overview of a product or project's planned direction and progress. In contrast, a project plan is a detailed document that outlines the specific steps and resources needed to complete a project.
Here are the general steps for building a SaaS product roadmap in Trello:
This Trello board will be the main container for your product roadmap. You can name the Trello board something like "Product Roadmap" or "[Product Name] Roadmap."
You can create lists to represent different periods or stages in the roadmap, such as "Next Quarter," "Q2," "Q3," etc. Alternatively, you can create lists to represent different stages in the product development process, such as "Ideas," "In Progress," "Completed," etc. These will be your columns in the Trello board.
For each feature or milestone in your roadmap, create a card in Trello and assign it to the appropriate list. You can add details to the Trelo cards, such as a description, attachments, labels, and due dates.
Once you have created your public product roadmap in Trello, you can invite your customers, team members, and other stakeholders to the board to collaborate on the roadmap and provide feedback.
Make sure your roadmap is on Public before you are sharing the link.
By following these steps, you can build a product roadmap in Trello that is easy to understand and collaborate on and helps keep your team aligned around the product vision and strategy.
Trello provides a starter template that you can use to make a roadmap.
In Trello, you can use labels to categorize cards by type, priority, or any other relevant criteria, making it easier to filter and group the cards on the board.
You can add attachments to the Trello cards, such as mockups or design documents, to provide more context and detail.
Using checklists can also break down larger tasks into smaller, actionable items.
There are two options to ask for feedback in Trello:
You can add images and icons to make your Trello public roadmap look more cool.
Encourage users to submit their ideas by creating a card for each idea and adding it to a "New Ideas" list. You can also create a template card that users can copy and fill out with their ideas.
If you don't want additional clutter on your Trello board, you can ask users to fill in a form. But note, that you need someone to go through all the ideas. If that becomes a lot, it would be better to use a feedback management board.
Are you ready to create a product roadmap that is so good, your competitors will be shaking in their boots? It's time to break out the key elements and get started!
These are elements that you need to add in your Trello product roadmap
Trello is a more general project management tool that can also be used for roadmaps. More purpose-built solutions like ProductLift offer several benefits over Trello for creating a product roadmap, such as more advanced customization options, visual roadmapping, and linking roadmaps to specific releases and versions.
ProductLift also provides a dedicated space for high-level planning and strategy, which can help keep your product roadmap focused and aligned with your overall business goals. Additionally, ProductLift's prioritization matrix makes creating and updating your product roadmap used on customer data easy, saving you time and effort in the long run.
While Trello can be a valuable tool for managing projects, it may offer limited functionality and customization than ProductLift for creating and maintaining a product roadmap. Ultimately, the choice between ProductLift and Trello depends on your product development team's specific needs and priorities.
And there you have it, folks! You now know how to build a product roadmap in Trello like a boss. No more flailing around like a flounder on dry land trying to figure out how to organize your product development process. With Trello, you'll be as organized as a library catalog and as efficient as a well-oiled machine.
So go forth, my fellow product managers, and build the roadmap of your dreams. Just remember to take breaks to recharge your batteries, or you might end up as fried as a chicken at KFC. And who wants that?
Thanks for joining me on this wild ride of Trello goodness. May your product development be as smooth as butter and your roadmaps as clear as a sunny day.
