Q:How should I prioritize my product roadmap?

The sources agree that prioritization should follow strategy, and that the roadmap should hold objectives and opportunities rather than a feature wish list. Marty Cagan argues that a feature-request spreadsheet works against delivering value³, while Lenny Rachitsky says you should not prioritize until you have a strategy, since goals flow from strategy and roadmap items come after⁷. Start with strategy and goals, then prioritize the outcomes they imply.

01Set strategy before ranking

• Lenny Rachitsky describes a chain running from mission and vision to strategy, then goals, then roadmap⁷.
• Cagan says the business strategy should define objectives and where to invest, and product teams then choose how to hit them⁹.
• Cagan recommends a product scorecard of five or six KPIs, using them to filter the backlog so features that don't move a top KPI are generally dropped⁵.

02Rank opportunities, not features

• Marty Cagan suggests keeping an opportunity backlog of prioritized problems, framed by problem, persona, and outcome, so solutions can change without losing the goal⁴.
• Teresa Torres recommends mapping opportunities on an opportunity solution tree anchored to an outcome, and assessing which opportunities to target before picking solutions¹⁰.
• Rachitsky suggests a quick first pass: T-shirt-size each idea for impact and cost, sort by ratio, and treat the result as a draft to revise with the team⁷.

03Balance bets and keep it honest

• Rachitsky suggests allocating resources across 2-5 strategic bets, then mixing roughly 80% low-risk incremental work with 20% long-term bets⁷.
• Torres says to match commitment to certainty: specific solutions for Now, opportunities for Next, outcomes for Later¹.
• Cagan treats roadmap dates as hopes until discovery and estimates confirm them³.