Crafting Customer-Centric Roadmaps: A Jobs-to-be-Done Approach to Roadmap Planning and Better Backlog Grooming

In a previous post, I argued that Jobs to be Done could serve as an effective means of exchanging ideas on value in strategy discussions between designers, business stakeholders, and technology experts. Additionally, I shared some insights on how to utilize Jobs to be Done to engage stakeholders and drive business decisions that advance the product vision.

In this article, we’ll explore how to use JTBD in roadmap planning and backlog grooming. We’ll see how it can transform the entire product development process, from creating user-focused roadmap strategies to the nitty-gritty of backlog grooming: by keeping user needs at the forefront of every decision, we ensure that our solutions resonate with the true essence of what our customers are trying to achieve.

Introduction

Effective roadmap planning and backlog grooming are two essential components of product management that help teams build and deliver the right product on time.

Roadmap planning is the process of creating a strategic plan that outlines the direction of a product over time. It helps teams prioritize features, set goals, and align stakeholders around a shared vision. A well-planned roadmap can help teams focus on the most critical work, avoid scope creep, and make informed decisions about what to build next.