Why do we strive to have a perfect roadmap per quarter? Because we want to commit to the future outputs. Then we can set clear expectations with our stakeholders. Wouldn’t it be ideal for delivering everything on time as we planned?

为什么我们要努力每季度制定一个完善的路线图？ 因为我们要致力于未来的产出。 然后，我们可以与利益相关者设定明确的期望。 按计划按时交付所有内容是否理想？

The perfect plan creates an illusion that makes us forget how complex reality is. Planning upfront doesn’t work in a dynamic environment. Once we insist on an ideal plan upfront, we might not be able to react fast to the inevitable changes. In this case, we will fail to use Scrum to our best interests.

完美的计划会产生一种幻觉，使我们忘记现实是多么复杂。 在动态环境中进行预先计划是行不通的。 一旦我们坚持理想的计划，我们可能就无法对不可避免的变化做出快速React。 在这种情况下，我们将不会出于最佳利益使用Scrum。

The Scrum Guide doesn’t have a single mention of the word roadmap. But it does say what the Product Backlog is:

《 Scrum指南》只字未提“路线图”。 但是它确实说明了产品积压是什么：

The Product Backlog is dynamic; it constantly changes to identify what the product needs to be appropriate, competitive, and useful.

产品积压是动态的； 它会不断变化以识别产品需要合适，具有竞争力和有用的产品。

— The Scrum Guide, November 2017

— Scrum指南 ，2017年11月

When we don’t accept changes, we fail. Our results will be, at best, mediocre. I believe we can do better than that.

当我们不接受变更时，我们就会失败。 我们的结果充其量是中等的。 我相信我们可以做得更好。

规划功能而不是目标 (Planning Features Instead of Goals)

It was right before Christmas, when we met to plan our roadmap for the next quarter. All Product Owners were excited about it. The meeting was supposed to last three hours. We started at 09:00 a.m., we had post-its and a large whiteboard to draw our roadmap. Everything was set for a significant interaction. But that’s not exactly what happened.

正是在圣诞节之前，我们见面并计划了下个季度的路线图。 所有产品负责人对此都很兴奋。 会议原应持续三个小时。 我们从上午09:00开始，我们有便利贴和一张大白板来绘制路线图。 一切都设置为进行重大交互。 但这不完全是发生了什么。

Each Product Owner wrote their ideas for the roadmap on the post-its. Then, one by one went to the whiteboard and explained each item. I was shocked after the first Product Owner. She presented fifteen issues as part of the Roadmap plan; all of them were features to implement. The other Product Owners had a similar approach. I wondered what was happening. I could see little or no chance for us to collaborate as a Product team during the next quarter.

每个产品负责人都会在帖子中写下他们对路线图的想法。 然后，一个接一个地走到白板上，并解释每个项目。 第一位产品负责人让我感到震惊。 她提出了十五个问题，作为路线图计划的一部分； 所有这些都是要实现的功能。 其他产品负责人也有类似的做法。 我想知道发生了什么事。 在下个季度，我几乎没有机会或几乎没有机会与我们作为产品团队进行合作。

Needless to say, the next quarter was a complete failure for us as a Product team. Every team was fighting for the features, and we couldn’t collaborate. Some teams manage to deliver all promises. Yet, stakeholders were unhappy. Output doesn’t matter. The outcome is what counts. Unfortunately, we ignore it.

不用说，下一季度对我们作为产品团队来说是完全失败的。 每个团队都在为功能而战，我们无法合作。 一些团队设法兑现所有承诺。 然而，利益相关者并不满意。 输出无关紧要。 结果才是最重要的。 不幸的是，我们无视它。

A traditional Roadmap plan is focused on features to deliver in a given time. But I can’t remember a single time that producing features set any team on a successful track. To succeed, we should define goals to achieve, instead of features to implement.

传统的路线图计划侧重于在给定时间内交付的功能。 但是我不记得曾经有一次生产功能使任何团队走上成功之路。 为了成功，我们应该定义要实现的目标，而不是要实现的功能。

“Finally, it’s all about solving problems, not implementing features. Conventional product roadmaps are all about output. Strong teams know it’s not only about implementing a solution. They must ensure that solution solves the underlying problem. It’s about business results.”― Marty Cagan, INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love

最后，这全都在于解决问题，而不是实现功能。 常规产品路线图都是关于产量的。 强大的团队知道，这不仅是实施解决方案。 他们必须确保解决方案能够解决潜在的问题。 这是关于业务成果的。” ― 受启发的Marty Cagan：如何创建客户喜爱的技术产品

取悦所有人； 讨好人 (Pleasing Everyone; Pleasing Nobody)

The life of a Product Owner is complex. We have to manage the expectations of many stakeholders. Everyone wants to have a say on the product. The way we handle the stakeholders’ wishes will set our path to success or mediocrity.

产品负责人的生活很复杂。 我们必须管理许多利益相关者的期望。 每个人都想对产品发表意见。 我们处理利益相关者愿望的方式将为我们成功或平庸奠定基础。

A common pitfall is to use the roadmap as an opportunity to please many stakeholders. Product Owners decide to put requests from multiple stakeholders as part of the next quarter Roadmap. It’s indeed an easy way of strengthening the relationship for the short-term. The Product Owner promises to deliver some features for each of them during the next quarter. Thus, everyone will be pleased with the results. In theory, it sounds great, but in practice, it doesn’t work.

一个常见的陷阱是利用路线图作为取悦许多利益相关者的机会。 产品所有者决定提出来自多个利益相关者的请求，作为下一季度路线图的一部分。 实际上，这是短期加强关系的一种简便方法。 产品负责人承诺在下个季度为每个产品提供一些功能。 因此，每个人都会对结果感到满意。 从理论上讲，这听起来不错，但在实践中，它是行不通的。

“Winning products come from the deep understanding of the user’s needs combined with an equally deep understanding of what’s just now possible.”― Marty Cagan, Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love

“成功的产品来自对用户需求的深刻理解以及对现在可能的事物的同样深刻的理解。”-受启发的Marty Cagan：如何创造客户喜爱的产品

Until we don’t understand the underlying problems, we are not ready to talk about solutions. Great Product Owners shift the conversation from features to goals. We should collaborate intensively with the stakeholders to uncover the hidden needs.

在不了解根本问题之前，我们还不准备谈论解决方案。 伟大的产品负责人将对话从功能转移到目标。 我们应该与利益相关者紧密合作，以发现隐藏的需求。

Also, we should strive to prioritize goals that will set a single direction for the Development Team. By saying yes to many stakeholders, we may be saying no to our chance to build meaningful solutions. When everything is a priority, nothing is.

另外，我们应该努力确定优先次序，为开发团队设定一个单一方向。 说是到许多利益相关者，我们可没有说给我们机会建立有意义的解决方案。 当一切都放在首位时，什么都不是。

Excellent Product Owners are bold. They go into conflicts by saying no to many stakeholders. Thus, they can set goals that will be the north star for the Development Team to pursue.

优秀的产品负责人大胆。 他们对许多利益相关者说不，从而陷入冲突。 因此，他们可以设定目标，这将是开发团队要追求的目标。

太晚参与开发团队 (Involving the Development Team Too Late)

If the Development Team gets to know the new challenges during the Sprint Plan. You failed as a Product Owner.

如果开发团队了解Sprint计划中的新挑战。 您作为产品负责人失败。

Many organizations claim to be agile. Yet, they plan everything upfront. Product Managers define what to build. Designer work on the interaction of it. Sometimes, some tests with real users will happen. But Developers are left out of this phase. Using Scrum only during the execution phase minimizes the chances for the company to thrive.

许多组织声称自己很敏捷。 但是，他们会预先计划一切。 产品经理定义要构建的内容。 设计人员就此进行交互。 有时，将对真实用户进行一些测试。 但是开发人员被排除在这个阶段之外。 仅在执行阶段使用Scrum可以最大程度地降低公司发展的机会。

Unfortunately, I’ve seen many Roadmaps planned without involving any Development Team members. The Product Owners give their “educated guess” estimation to the topics. Then, a Roadmap is defined based on the capacity of the team. This approach does not resemble Agile or Scrum in any way.

不幸的是，我已经看到许多规划图，而没有任何开发团队成员参与。 产品负责人对主题进行“有根据的猜测 ”估计。 然后，根据团队的能力定义路线图。 这种方法在任何方面都不类似于敏捷或Scrum。

Responding to change over following a plan

响应计划变更

— Agile Manifesto

— 敏捷宣言

The roadmap shouldn’t be a surprise to the Development Teams. Instead, the items should be discussed during refinements. That’s the moment the Scrum Team evaluates the future possibilities.

该路线图对开发团队来说并不奇怪。 相反，应在优化过程中讨论这些项目。 那是Scrum团队评估未来可能性的时刻。

Successful Scrum Teams continually refine the Product Backlog items. Sometimes, the Development Team will ask for a spike to clarify open points. This approach will help the team to gain confidence that it fits in a Sprint.

成功的Scrum团队会不断完善Product Backlog项目。 有时，开发团队会要求加仓以澄清开放点。 这种方法将帮助团队建立适合Sprint的信心。

To thrive, we should work as a team, instead of in silos. Remember that the Scrum Team has all the required skills to build successful products. Leaving Designers out of the Scrum Team, will eventually lead to failure.

为了蓬勃发展，我们应该团队合作，而不是孤岛。 请记住，Scrum团队具有构建成功产品所需的全部技能。 将设计师排除在Scrum团队之外，最终会导致失败。

The Development Team consists of professionals who do the work of delivering a potentially releasable Increment of “Done” product at the end of each Sprint.

开发团队由专业人士组成，他们负责在每个Sprint的末尾交付可能完成的“完成”产品增量。

— The Scrum Guide, November 2017

— Scrum指南 ，2017年11月

尾注 (Endnote)

I am not against Roadmap planning. On the contrary, I am in favor of that. However, I believe we can only succeed once we focus on the goals to achieve. We should accept we don’t know what to build to reach the outcome we expect. But we should know why we go to work every day. We should know the result we want to deliver.

我不反对路线图计划。 相反，我赞成这一点。 但是，我相信只有专注于要实现的目标，我们才能成功。 我们应该接受我们不知道要做什么才能达到我们期望的结果。 但是我们应该知道为什么我们每天都要上班。 我们应该知道我们想要交付的结果。

“If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there, you’ll be amazed at the results” — George S. Patton.

“如果您告诉人们去哪里，却不告诉人们如何到达那里，那么您会为结果感到惊讶。” —乔治·S·帕顿

Successful Roadmap planning has the following characteristics:

成功的路线图规划具有以下特征：

• The roadmap contains only goals to achieve. The focus is on the outcome.该路线图仅包含要实现的目标。 重点是结果。
• The Product Owners prioritize what is best for the product, instead of trying to please the stakeholders.产品负责人优先考虑对产品最有利的事物，而不是试图取悦利益相关者。
• The Roadmap plan will not surprise the Scrum Team with features they have never heard. But, it may surprise them with challenging goals to achieve.路线图计划不会让Scrum团队惊讶于他们从未听说过的功能。 但是，这可能使他们惊讶于要实现的挑战性目标。

Do you want to write for Serious Scrum or seriously discuss Scrum?

您要为《严重的Scrum》撰写文章还是认真讨论Scrum？