Now, Next, Later

August 7, 2023

Happy Monday everyone! Lots going on this week in the Cleveland Product scene, so let’s get to it!

Article of the Week

One of the key responsibilities of our work as Product Managers is roadmapping. Understanding what problems exists, what solutions we are building, and the priorities of each are key components to roadmapping. How do we represent that? What tools do we use? When are we delivering which features? One roadmapping approach I’ve found very effective is using the concept of Now, Next, Later:

  • Now - The problems we know the most about, have collaboratively determined our approach to solving them, and committed to addressing. We are ready to work on them.

  • Next - The next set of features and capabilities that we will be building. They are not as known as those in the Now bucket, but they are the next priorities. They need some more collective refinement, but they are getting close to being ready.

  • Later - Items we want to explore, but there is some uncertainty in the problem or solution that requires more research and discussion.

I like the below article from Avion which explains the Now, Next, Later approach in greater depth. In particular, I like the following quote: “A Now, Next, Later roadmap embraces uncertainty, acknowledges priorities change and remains reactive to what we learn as we release features.“ The Now, Next, Later approach won’t work for all situations - i.e. your stakeholders absolutely must see dates - but it can be highly effective to build solutions yet be responsive to change.

Click below to read more!

Product Jobs of the Week

The Product roles at Cleveland companies keep rolling in!

About the Author

My name is Shawn Leitner. I started the Cleveland Product networking group in 2017, which helps to connect Product professionals around Cleveland, providing them with a forum to network, learn, and share stories. For my day job, I'm a Product Consultant & Coach for Pathfinder Product and help clients implement strong Product practices so they can create products that their teams love building and their customers love using. Connect with me on LinkedIn or feel free to attend one of my events either virtually or in-person. Always up for meeting for a cup of coffee also!I haVE