Product Management Product Roadmap Planning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'horizon 1' initiative in roadmap planning?
- Work being actively done now (Correct answer)
- Work planned for next year
- Aspirational long-term ideas
- Archived backlog items
Correct answer: Work being actively done now
Horizon 1 (Now) represents initiatives currently in progress or committed for the near term.
Question 2: Which framework helps prioritize roadmap items by weighing value against effort?
- RICE scoring (Correct answer)
- SWOT analysis
- OKR framework
- 5 Whys
Correct answer: RICE scoring
RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) scoring provides a quantitative way to rank roadmap candidates.
Question 3: What is the key difference between a product roadmap and a release plan?
- A roadmap shows strategic direction; a release plan shows specific delivery timelines (Correct answer)
- They are identical documents
- A release plan covers multiple products
- A roadmap is only for internal teams
Correct answer: A roadmap shows strategic direction; a release plan shows specific delivery timelines
Roadmaps communicate strategy and vision while release plans specify dates, versions, and detailed feature scope for a given release.
Question 4: What does a 'dependency' on a roadmap indicate?
- One item must be completed before another can start (Correct answer)
- A feature that depends on user feedback only
- A budget line item
- An optional enhancement
Correct answer: One item must be completed before another can start
Dependencies show that a roadmap item relies on another team's work or a prerequisite feature before it can proceed.
Question 5: Which visualization is MOST useful for showing a roadmap to executive stakeholders?
- High-level timeline with strategic themes (Correct answer)
- Detailed sprint-level task board
- Line-by-line backlog export
- Daily standup notes
Correct answer: High-level timeline with strategic themes
Executives need strategic context, so a high-level theme-based timeline communicates direction without overwhelming detail.
Question 6: What is 'scope creep' in the context of a product roadmap?
- Uncontrolled additions of new features that inflate planned work (Correct answer)
- A planned phased feature rollout
- The process of shrinking the backlog
- A testing strategy for new features
Correct answer: Uncontrolled additions of new features that inflate planned work
Scope creep occurs when additional features or requirements are added to a roadmap item without adjusting timelines or resources.
Product Management Product Roadmap Planning 2
What is a 'horizon 1' initiative in roadmap planning?