--- name: product-roadmap description: "Creates product roadmaps in Notion with milestones, feature priorities, release timelines, and status tracking for SaaS products, apps, courses, or any product with iterative development. Use when a user needs to plan product development, wants to communicate a roadmap to stakeholders, or needs to prioritize features for upcoming releases." allowed-tools: Read Write Glob mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-create-database mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-create-pages mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-search mcp__claude_ai_Notion__notion-fetch metadata: author: AI Black Magic version: "1.0" --- # Product Roadmap ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Build a product roadmap database in Notion to plan features, milestones, and releases - Prioritize a backlog of feature ideas using ICE scoring or MoSCoW - Communicate a development timeline to stakeholders, investors, or team members - Replace a spreadsheet, Trello board, or whiteboard-based product planning process **DO NOT** use this skill for: - Project task management with daily to-dos (use project-tracker instead) - Bug tracking or issue management (different schema and workflow) - Enterprise portfolio management across dozens of products (too complex for a single database) --- ## Quick Reference | Feature | Details | |---------|---------| | Properties | 12 fields per feature record | | Prioritization | ICE scoring (default) or MoSCoW framework | | Status stages | 6 (Backlog > Planned > In Progress > Testing > Shipped > Deferred) | | Timeframes | 4 horizons (Now, Next, Later, Icebox) | | Database views | 4 filtered views | | Seeding | Bulk import from feature list or product brief | ## Database Schema | Property | Type | Options/Default | |----------|------|-----------------| | Feature Name | Title | Required | | Description | Rich text | Empty | | Priority | Select | Must Have (red), Should Have (orange), Could Have (yellow), Won't Have (gray) | | Status | Select | Backlog (gray), Planned (blue), In Progress (purple), Testing (orange), Shipped (green), Deferred (red) | | Quarter/Phase | Select | Now (green), Next (blue), Later (yellow), Icebox (gray) | | Effort | Select | XS (gray), Small (green), Medium (yellow), Large (orange), XL (red) | | Impact | Number | 1-10 scale | | Confidence | Number | 1-10 scale | | Ease | Number | 1-10 scale | | Owner | Rich text | Empty | | Category | Select | Core (blue), Growth (green), Monetization (purple), Infrastructure (gray), UX/Design (pink), Integrations (orange) | | Dependencies | Rich text | Empty | ### Status Flow | Status | Meaning | Action | |--------|---------|--------| | Backlog | Idea captured, no timeline | Score with ICE, assign priority | | Planned | Committed to a quarter | Assign owner, refine description | | In Progress | Actively being built | Owner provides progress updates | | Testing | Built, undergoing QA or beta | Testers provide feedback within 5 days | | Shipped | Live and available to users | Mark release date in Description | | Deferred | Intentionally postponed | Log reason, revisit next quarter | ### Effort Sizing XS = less than 1 day | Small = 1-3 days | Medium = 1-2 weeks | Large = 3-4 weeks | XL = 5+ weeks --- ## ICE Scoring Framework DEFAULT PRIORITIZATION METHOD. Use ICE unless the user explicitly requests MoSCoW-only. **ICE Score = (Impact x Confidence x Ease) / 10** | Dimension | Question | Scale | |-----------|----------|-------| | Impact | How much does this move the needle on revenue, retention, or satisfaction? | 1 (minimal) to 10 (transformative) | | Confidence | How certain are we this will deliver the expected impact? | 1 (pure guess) to 10 (validated with data) | | Ease | How easy is this to implement given current resources? | 1 (massive effort) to 10 (trivial to ship) | | ICE Range | Action | |-----------|--------| | 50-100 | Prioritize immediately; move to Now | | 25-49 | Plan for Next quarter | | 10-24 | Keep in Later; refine scope | | 1-9 | Move to Icebox; revisit when data improves | **Scoring rules:** - Score Impact on **business outcomes**, not feature coolness. A billing fix that reduces churn outscores a flashy animation. - Score Confidence on **evidence.** Customer interviews = 8-10, gut feeling = 2-3, competitor has it = 5-6. - Score Ease **relative to team size.** Solo developer rates a 2-week feature as 3; a 5-person team rates it 7. - **NEVER give every feature the same scores.** If all features score 5/5/5, the framework provides zero signal. --- ## Core Workflow EVERY PRODUCT ROADMAP STARTS BY GATHERING PRODUCT DETAILS AND CREATING THE DATABASE WITH THE FULL 12-PROPERTY SCHEMA BEFORE ADDING ANY FEATURES -- NEVER ADD PAGES TO A DATABASE THAT IS MISSING PROPERTIES. ### Phase 1: Gather Product Details 1. **Product name** -- what is the product called 2. **Product type** -- SaaS, mobile app, web app, online course, physical product, marketplace 3. **Current stage** -- idea, MVP, beta, launched, scaling 4. **Notion parent page** -- where should the roadmap live (page name or URL) 5. **Feature list** -- known features, ideas, or backlog items to import 6. **Team size** -- solo, small team (2-5), or team (6+); affects Ease scoring 7. **Release cadence** -- weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly, or milestone-based 8. **Stakeholder audience** -- who will read this (team, investors, customers, board) 9. **Custom categories** -- product areas beyond the 6 defaults If the user provides only items 1, 4, and 5, proceed with all defaults. **Brief template:** ``` I'll build your product roadmap in Notion. Quick answers needed: 1. Product name? 2. Product type? (SaaS, app, course, physical, other) 3. Current stage? (idea, MVP, beta, launched, scaling) 4. Which Notion page should I create the roadmap under? 5. Feature list or backlog to import? 6. Team size? (solo, 2-5, 6+) 7. Release cadence? (weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly) 8. Who will read this roadmap? (team, investors, customers) ``` ### Phase 2: Prioritize Features with ICE Scoring 1. Score every feature with Impact, Confidence, Ease (1-10 each) 2. Calculate ICE Score: (I x C x E) / 10 3. Assign MoSCoW Priority: ICE 50+ = Must Have, 25-49 = Should Have, 10-24 = Could Have, below 10 = Won't Have 4. Assign Quarter/Phase: Must Have -> Now, Should Have -> Now/Next, Could Have -> Next/Later, Won't Have -> Icebox 5. Present scored list for user approval: ``` # Feature Impact Conf Ease ICE Priority Phase 1 Stripe payment integration 9 8 6 43.2 Must Have Now 2 Email onboarding sequence 8 7 7 39.2 Should Have Now 3 Team member roles 7 6 5 21.0 Could Have Next 4 Dark mode 3 4 8 9.6 Won't Have Icebox Approve this prioritization, or tell me which scores to adjust. ``` **NEVER skip prioritization.** Even if the user says "just add them all," score every feature first. ### Phase 3: Search Notion for Parent Page 1. Call `notion-search` with the page name the user provided 2. Confirm the parent page if multiple matches exist **IF NOT FOUND:** Ask for exact title, try shorter keywords, verify integration access. **After 3 failures:** "I cannot locate that page. Check Settings > Connections in Notion and verify the integration has access." ### Phase 4: Create the Roadmap Database 1. Call `notion-create-database` with parent page ID, title `[Product Name] Roadmap`, and all 12 properties from the schema above (including color assignments) 2. Verify with `notion-fetch` on the returned database ID 3. Confirm creation with property summary **IF CREATION FAILS:** Verify parent page ID with `notion-fetch`, check permissions, retry once. **If it fails again:** "Please go to the parent page > three-dot menu > Connections and ensure the integration has 'Can edit' access." ### Phase 5: Seed Features and Deliver 1. Using the approved scored list from Phase 2, call `notion-create-pages` for all features 2. Populate all 12 properties per feature. Must Have/Now features start as "Planned"; all others start as "Backlog" 3. Report results grouped by Quarter/Phase with feature name, priority, effort, ICE score, and owner 4. Provide view setup instructions (Notion MCP cannot create views programmatically): ``` RECOMMENDED VIEWS: 1. TIMELINE VIEW (Table) — Group by: Quarter/Phase, Sort: Priority then ICE descending, Filter: not Deferred 2. PRIORITY BOARD (Board) — Group by: Priority, Sort: Impact descending, Filter: not Shipped/Deferred 3. STATUS KANBAN (Board) — Group by: Status, Sort: Priority, No filter 4. QUICK WINS (Table) — Filter: Impact >= 7 AND Ease >= 7 AND Status = Backlog, Sort: Ease descending ``` 5. Deliver the planning guide: ``` QUARTERLY REVIEW (60 min): 1. Move shipped features to "Shipped" 2. Re-score features whose Impact/Confidence changed 3. Pull top Backlog features into "Planned" for next quarter 4. Assign owners to all "Now" features WEEKLY CHECK-IN (15 min): 1. Update statuses in Status Kanban 2. Check for blocked features (note in Dependencies) 3. Review Quick Wins for fast shipping opportunities ADDING NEW IDEAS: Set Status=Backlog, Phase=Icebox, score ICE, assign Priority STAKEHOLDER VIEWS: - Investors: filter Must Have + Should Have, hide ICE scores - Customers: filter Now + Next, show Status and Quarter only - Internal: show all views, full detail ``` **IF THE FEATURE LIST IS VAGUE:** Generate reasonable features based on product type and stage, present with ICE scores for approval BEFORE creating pages. **NEVER create inferred features without confirmation.** --- ## Example 1: SaaS Invoicing Tool Roadmap **User:** "Building a SaaS invoicing tool called BillFlow. Post-MVP with 50 beta users. Team: me (product), Priya (engineer), Marcus (designer). Monthly releases. Notion page: 'BillFlow Product'. Here are 12 features..." **Execution:** 1. **Gather:** BillFlow, SaaS, post-MVP, 3-person team, monthly, internal audience 2. **Prioritize:** Score 12 features: ``` # Feature Impact Conf Ease ICE Priority Phase 1 Payment reminder emails 8 8 7 44.8 Must Have Now 2 Stripe payment integration 9 8 6 43.2 Must Have Now 3 CSV export for accountants 6 7 7 29.4 Should Have Now 4 Recurring invoice automation 9 7 5 31.5 Should Have Now 5 Dashboard with revenue metrics 7 6 6 25.2 Should Have Now 6 Late fee auto-calculation 6 7 5 21.0 Could Have Next 7 Team member roles 7 6 5 21.0 Could Have Next 8 Custom invoice templates 5 6 6 18.0 Could Have Next 9 QuickBooks sync 8 5 4 16.0 Could Have Next 10 Dark mode 2 9 8 14.4 Could Have Later 11 Client self-service portal 7 5 4 14.0 Could Have Later 12 Multi-currency support 6 4 3 7.2 Won't Have Icebox ``` 3. **Search:** `notion-search` "BillFlow Product" -> `pg_billflow123` 4. **Create:** Database "BillFlow Roadmap" with custom categories (Core, Billing, Reporting, Integrations, UX) -> `db_roadmap456` 5. **Seed and deliver:** ``` Features imported: 12 of 12 NOW: Payment reminder emails (Must, ICE 44.8), Stripe integration (Must, ICE 43.2), Recurring invoices (Should, ICE 31.5), CSV export (Should, ICE 29.4), Dashboard metrics (Should, ICE 25.2) NEXT: Late fees (Could, ICE 21.0), Team roles (Could, ICE 21.0), Invoice templates (Could, ICE 18.0), QuickBooks sync (Could, ICE 16.0) LATER: Dark mode (Could, ICE 14.4), Client portal (Could, ICE 14.0) ICEBOX: Multi-currency (Won't, ICE 7.2) Next steps: 1. Create the 4 recommended views in Notion 2. Assign owners to the 3 unassigned features 3. Write detailed specs for the 2 Must Have features 4. Schedule quarterly review for end of this quarter ``` --- ## Example 2: Online Course Roadmap **User:** "Solopreneur building a cooking course on Teachable called ChefPath. Idea stage. 8 feature ideas. Notion page: 'ChefPath Business'. Just me." **Execution:** 1. **Gather:** ChefPath, online course, idea stage, solo, milestone-based 2. **Prioritize:** Score 8 features (solo = lower Ease for complex items): ``` # Feature Impact Conf Ease ICE Priority Phase 1 Teachable sales page setup 9 8 7 50.4 Must Have Now 2 Free sample lesson (lead magnet) 7 7 8 39.2 Should Have Now 3 Core curriculum (12 modules) 10 9 4 36.0 Must Have Now 4 Email waitlist + launch sequence 8 7 6 33.6 Should Have Now 5 Recipe PDF downloads (bonus) 5 8 8 32.0 Should Have Now 6 Student community (FB group) 6 6 7 25.2 Could Have Next 7 Advanced masterclass (upsell) 8 4 3 9.6 Won't Have Icebox 8 Affiliate referral program 6 3 5 9.0 Won't Have Icebox ``` 3. **Search:** `notion-search` "ChefPath Business" -> `pg_chef789` 4. **Create:** Database "ChefPath Roadmap", categories (Content, Marketing, Community, Monetization) -> `db_chef012` 5. **Seed and deliver:** ``` Features imported: 8 of 8 NOW: Sales page (Must, ICE 50.4), Sample lesson (Should, ICE 39.2), Curriculum (Must, ICE 36.0), Email sequence (Should, ICE 33.6), Recipe PDFs (Should, ICE 32.0) NEXT: Student community (Could, ICE 25.2) ICEBOX: Masterclass (Won't, ICE 9.6), Affiliates (Won't, ICE 9.0) Solopreneur tip: Start with the highest ICE score (sales page setup), not the biggest effort item (curriculum). The sales page validates demand before you invest weeks recording video modules. ``` --- ## Pre-Delivery Checklist **DO NOT SKIP ANY ITEM.** ``` Pre-Delivery Checklist: [ ] Database created and accessible (notion-fetch with database ID) [ ] All 12 properties configured [ ] Priority options correct (4 MoSCoW levels) [ ] Status options correct (6 stages) [ ] Quarter/Phase options correct (4 horizons) [ ] Effort options correct (5 sizes) [ ] Category options present (default or custom) [ ] ICE scores populated for all features [ ] All features seeded successfully (count vs. expected) [ ] No duplicate features [ ] Owners assigned where team info was provided [ ] Dependencies documented where applicable [ ] View setup instructions delivered [ ] Database under correct parent page [ ] User approved prioritization before seeding ``` --- ## Recovery and Troubleshooting ### Notion Search Returns No Results 1. Ask for the exact page title (case-sensitive) 2. Try a shorter keyword (e.g., "Product" instead of "BillFlow Product Dashboard") 3. Confirm the page is shared with the Notion integration 4. **After 3 failures:** "Check Settings > Connections in Notion and verify the integration has access." ### Database Creation Fails 1. Verify parent page ID with `notion-fetch` 2. Check for permission errors 3. Retry once 4. **If it fails again:** "Go to parent page > three-dot menu > Connections > ensure 'Can edit' access." ### Feature Seeding Partially Fails 1. Report which features succeeded and which failed 2. Retry failed features individually 3. If retries fail, provide details formatted for manual entry ### Notion API Rate Limits 1. Pause 10 seconds between batches, reduce to 5 features per call 2. **DO NOT skip features due to rate limits** -- slow down and retry ### User Disagrees with ICE Scores 1. Ask which features to re-score and discuss their reasoning 2. Adjust scores, recalculate ICE, re-sort priorities 3. Present revised list for approval before proceeding ### Adding Features Later 1. `notion-fetch` to confirm database ID and schema 2. Score new features with ICE, present for approval 3. `notion-create-pages` to add, report updated totals ### Schema Modification After Build **Notion MCP does not support modifying existing schemas.** Instruct the user: - Add property: click "+" in header row, choose type, name it - Modify property: click column header > "Edit property" - Add new option: click any cell in that column, type the new option name --- ## Anti-Patterns - **DO NOT** create the database without the full 12-property schema -- adding properties after pages exist causes alignment issues - **DO NOT** skip ICE scoring -- prioritization is the core value of a roadmap, not the list itself - **DO NOT** use dates that imply commitments unless the user confirms deadlines -- use relative horizons (Now, Next, Later), not calendar dates - **DO NOT** add more than 20 features without grouping into categories -- uncategorized lists are backlog dumps, not roadmaps - **DO NOT** assign all features to "Now" -- if everything is Now, nothing is prioritized - **DO NOT** give every feature the same ICE scores -- identical scores defeat the framework - **DO NOT** skip parent page confirmation -- creating under the wrong page is difficult to undo - **DO NOT** create views programmatically -- Notion MCP does not support this - **DO NOT** promise automated notifications, sprint planning, or burndown charts -- this is a database, not a full PM tool - **DO NOT** include time-sensitive milestones like "Q3 2025" -- use relative horizons instead