Product Roadmaps 101 - Essentials for New Product Managers
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Product Roadmaps 101 - Essentials for New Product Managers
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What you'll learn
Develop a clear understanding of product roadmaps and their strategic importance in product management.
Learn how to structure and define your product roadmap with key components and supporting elements.
Gain hands-on experience gathering inputs and defining the product lifecycle to drive roadmap decisions.
Master communication techniques to present and track your roadmap with key stakeholders effectively.
Skills you'll gain
- Product Lifecycle Management
- Stakeholder Communications
- Product Planning
- User Feedback
- Business Priorities
- Prioritization
- Product Management
- Stakeholder Analysis
- Plan Execution
- Stakeholder Management
- Communication Strategies
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Product Development
- Strategic Planning
- Change Management
- Customer Insights
- Product Roadmaps
Details to know
April 2026
6 assignments
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
There are 5 modules in this course
This course features Coursera Coach!
A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. This course offers a comprehensive introduction to creating product roadmaps for new product managers. It covers key components, the importance of gathering inputs, and thematic planning. Through practical exercises, you’ll gain hands-on experience building roadmaps with a focus on stakeholder communication and alignment. You will learn how to structure your roadmap effectively, identify essential components, and integrate inputs from different sources, including customers and stakeholders. The course also explores how to prioritize roadmap items, make strategic decisions, and communicate effectively with stakeholders. By the end of the course, you’ll have the tools to keep your roadmap up-to-date, ensuring that it evolves with your product’s changing needs. This course is ideal for anyone new to product management or those who wish to formalize their approach to roadmapping. If you're a new product manager or aspiring to step into this role, you will benefit from learning the essential skills that will guide your career. There are no prerequisites, and the course is designed for beginners, offering clear, actionable insights and practical examples. By the end of the course, you will be able to define your product’s roadmap components, prioritize product features, track changes, and present a roadmap that aligns with your team’s goals and vision.
In this module, we will explore the foundational aspects of product roadmapping, including its definition, strategic importance, and role in guiding product development. We will examine traditional roadmaps and discuss their limitations, introducing modern approaches to roadmap design. By the end of this module, you will have a clear understanding of the essentials and a hands-on approach to building your first roadmap.
What's included
5 videos1 reading
5 videos•Total 14 minutes
- Welcome & Course Overview•3 minutes
- What Is A Product Roadmap?•4 minutes
- Meet Your Instructor•1 minute
- Exercise #1: Pick Your Product•2 minutes
- Why Traditional Roadmaps Don't Work•4 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Full Course Resources•10 minutes
In this module, we will dive into the essential elements that make up a well-structured product roadmap. You'll learn to define the main components and enhance them with supporting details, ensuring your roadmap is clear, actionable, and aligned with stakeholder expectations. Through exercises, you’ll refine your roadmap with additional information that improves transparency and communication.
What's included
7 videos1 assignment
7 videos•Total 31 minutes
- Section Introduction•1 minute
- Main Components•4 minutes
- Exercise #2: Define Your Main Components•8 minutes
- Supporting Components•2 minutes
- Exercise #3: Add Your Supporting Components•9 minutes
- Additional Information•4 minutes
- Exercise #4: Add Additional Information•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
- Structuring Your Product Roadmap - Assessment•15 minutes
In this module, we will focus on the various inputs that influence a product roadmap. From understanding the product’s lifecycle to gathering critical customer and stakeholder insights, you will learn how to base your roadmap on well-rounded, informed decisions. You'll also practice creating a Business Model Canvas to contextualize your roadmap within a broader business ecosystem.
What's included
8 videos1 assignment
8 videos•Total 25 minutes
- Section Introduction•1 minute
- The Importance of Gathering Inputs•5 minutes
- Exercise #5: What Is Your Product's Lifecycle Stage?•1 minute
- Understand Your Ecosystem•3 minutes
- Exercise #6: Create A Business Model Canvas•5 minutes
- Understanding Customers•4 minutes
- Understanding Stakeholders•4 minutes
- Exercise #7: Identify Your Stakeholders•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
- Inputs That Drive Roadmap Decisions - Assessment•15 minutes
In this module, we will explore how roadmap themes help you organize your work and make strategic decisions. You will learn techniques to uncover these themes and how to leverage them for prioritizing features and timing releases. Additionally, we will cover effective communication strategies for sharing roadmap status and updates with stakeholders.
What's included
6 videos1 assignment
6 videos•Total 17 minutes
- Section Introduction•1 minute
- What Are Roadmap Themes?•2 minutes
- How To Uncover Themes•5 minutes
- Exercise #8: Uncover Your Themes•3 minutes
- When To Introduce Features•4 minutes
- Communicating Status•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
- Thematic Planning and Communication - Assessment•15 minutes
In this final module, we will dive into roadmap execution, focusing on prioritization, alignment, and managing changes over time. You will learn how to apply various prioritization frameworks and techniques to ensure your roadmap aligns with business objectives. With practical exercises, you will also develop skills for tracking changes, keeping your roadmap fresh and adaptable in a dynamic product environment.
What's included
8 videos3 assignments
8 videos•Total 37 minutes
- Section Introduction•1 minute
- Common Prioritization Mistakes•5 minutes
- Prioritization Frameworks•6 minutes
- Achieving Alignment•6 minutes
- Exercise #9: The Alignment Board•2 minutes
- Presenting Your Roadmap•7 minutes
- Keeping Your Roadmap Fresh•8 minutes
- Exercise #10: Tracking Changes To Your Roadmap•3 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
- Roadmap Execution and Evolution - Assessment•15 minutes
- Full Course Assessment•60 minutes
- Full Course Practice Assessment•15 minutes
Instructor
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Frequently asked questions
A product roadmap is a strategic tool that outlines the vision, goals, and direction for a product over time. It serves as a plan to guide product development and communicates key milestones and timelines to stakeholders. Roadmaps are crucial because they ensure alignment between teams, help prioritize work, and provide a clear path for meeting both business and customer needs.
This course, Product Roadmaps 101 - Essentials for New Product Managers, is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to product roadmapping. You’ll learn how to structure a product roadmap, incorporate key inputs like customer insights and stakeholder needs, and prioritize effectively. The course emphasizes practical exercises, so you will gain hands-on experience by building a product roadmap from scratch while learning best practices for execution and communication.
After completing this course, you’ll have the skills to create a clear, strategic product roadmap. You’ll be able to identify key components of a roadmap, integrate diverse inputs, prioritize effectively, and communicate your roadmap to stakeholders. You will also be equipped to handle evolving product needs and keep your roadmap aligned with business goals.
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