One should plan more frequently than simply at the start of a year. That said, the start of a new year does encourage an increased focus on planning. The turn of the calendar brings new budgets, new enthusiasm, and fresh opportunities to overuse memes. Here are some resources to help you make your new year product planning simple and effective.
Three tips for planning next year’s product roadmap. October represents a good time to review plans for next year’s roadmap. Even though you should review your product roadmap at least quarterly, the look ahead to the new calendar year can bring more focus. Annual planning and budgeting often lead to a more concerted effort to refine and revise your future roadmap. Jeff Lash shares three tips to help you make the most of the opportunity the new year brings when you review and revise your product roadmap.
(via @jefflash)
A game plan for the new year. As you approach the end of one year and the start of the next, you may want to give a kick start to your strategic planning thinking and use the next few weeks to write up a basic strategic Product Plan that will set your activities up for the year. The folks at Brainmates suggest that it may help to think of your plan like the setup of a chess game. You want to consider the things can control (white pieces), your competitors (black pieces) and your plays for different time horizons.
(via @brainmates)
14-Step product launch checklist for 2019. If you’re starting work on a new product in the new year, it’s important to consider your product launch. A well-planned product launch creates hype, raise awareness, and push for sales for your new product. Greg Swan shares a 14 step product launch checklist split into pre-launch, launch, and post-launch that will help ensure the success of your product launch.
(via @GregDSwan)
17 Steps to take before you launch a product or service. Do you want to turn your new product idea into a reality in the upcoming year? Don’t get so caught up in dreams of all the sales, recognition, and success that you rush to market without all of your ducks in a row. The members of the Forbes Agency Council each suggest important planning steps to take before you release a new product or service.
(via @forbes_agency)
Product planning: what to do, with whom, and when? It’s tempting to think of product planning as something you only do in the early stages of product development. Thing is, as you start developing your product, “the realities on the ground might change — for your company, your customers, your competitors, and your market.” Maddy Kirsch explains this is why it’s so important to view product planning as an ongoing component of the product development process, not a one-off activity you do just at the beginning of the year.
(via @MaddyKirsch)
