Product roadmap template
A roadmap should show where the product is heading and why, without turning every guess into a promised date. The Now / Next / Later format does exactly that, and it's the easiest roadmap to keep honest.
Updated
The short answer
A Now / Next / Later roadmap groups work by how certain it is, not by exact dates. Now is committed and in progress, Next is planned and being shaped, and Later is direction you're exploring. Tie every item to an objective so the roadmap explains why, not just what.
Pastes with formatting into Google Docs, Word, Notion and Confluence.
[Product] roadmap
Owner: [name] | Last updated: [date]
Objectives this year
- [Outcome you want to change, with a measure]
Now (committed, in progress)
| Item | Objective | Target | Status |
|---|
Next (planned, being shaped)
| Item | Objective | Rough timing | Open questions |
|---|
Later (direction, exploring)
| Item | Objective | Why it matters |
|---|
Not doing
- [Things people ask for that you've decided against, and why]
Example: fictional Meridian Labs data
Pulse Analytics roadmap
Owner: Avery Nolan | Last updated: 26 Sep 2026
Objectives this year
- Every team can answer their own product questions (self-serve report adoption: not measured yet, target 40%)
Now (committed, in progress)
| Item | Objective | Target | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live event pipeline | 1 | 20 Sep | On track, 70% |
| Self-serve dashboards | 1 | 15 Nov | At risk |
Next (planned, being shaped)
| Item | Objective | Rough timing | Open questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governed metric catalogue | 1 | 20 Dec | Who owns each metric? |
Later (direction, exploring)
| Item | Objective | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled exports | 1 | Leadership wants a Monday email; after templates prove adoption |
Not doing
- Custom SQL editor: serves a handful of analysts, not team leads
New to product roadmaps? Start here
What it is
A product roadmap shows where a product is heading over the coming months and why. It's about direction and priorities, not a list of every task.
Use it when
- Planning the next quarter
- Aligning stakeholders on priorities
- People keep asking "when will we get X?"
Who writes it
The product manager, with engineering and design
Who reads it
Everyone: the team, leadership, sales and customers
How to fill it in
- 1Objectives
- One to three outcomes, each with a measure. Every roadmap item should point at one.
- 2Now
- Work that's committed and underway. The only column with target dates.
- 3Next
- What comes after Now, being scoped. Rough timing like "next quarter" is enough.
- 4Later
- Direction, not commitment. Keep items broad, such as "Self-serve sharing", not detailed features.
- 5Not doing
- Saying no in writing saves you from the same request every month.
Why Now / Next / Later works
Date-based roadmaps turn estimates into promises, and every slipped date costs trust. Grouping by certainty lets you commit where you're confident and stay flexible where you're not. The format was popularised by Janna Bastow at ProdPad and is now common across product teams.
Tips
- Review it monthly and move items between columns as certainty changes.
- Keep Now short. If everything is Now, nothing is.
- Show the objective on every item, so stakeholders debate outcomes, not features.
Why roadmaps go stale
A roadmap in slides or a doc is right on the day you present it. Then work moves in the backlog and the roadmap doesn't, until someone rebuilds it for the next review.
Roadmap in slides
- Rebuilt before every review
- Doesn't know what's actually delivered
- Objectives live on a different slide
Roadmap in Ondule
- Built from the real milestones and epics
- Progress and status update as work moves
- Every item linked to its objective
How to do this in Ondule
Questions
- What is a Now / Next / Later roadmap?
- A roadmap that groups work by certainty: Now is committed, Next is planned and Later is direction. Only Now carries firm dates.
- Should a product roadmap have dates?
- Only for work you're confident about. Put firm dates on Now items and use rough timing for the rest.
- How often should a roadmap be updated?
- Review it at least monthly. A roadmap built from live work, as in Ondule, updates continuously.