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LS 101 · Lesson 6.1
Roadmap Reviews & Trade-Off Narratives
In this mastery studio, learners present their outcome-based roadmaps, respond to stakeholder-style challenges, and refine both the roadmap and the narrative while holding the core intent steady.
Lesson Overview +
Lesson 6.1 is the roadmap clinic for Lesson 6. Learners bring their first-pass outcome-based roadmap and treat it like a working draft to be shared, challenged, and refined. Instead of aiming for a perfect artifact, they practice the Product Owner posture of telling a clear story, naming trade-offs, and adjusting details without abandoning the core outcome intent.

In small-group or self-guided studios, learners anticipate stakeholder questions, rehearse a short roadmap presentation, and then capture feedback framed as challenges from different perspectives. They use this feedback to make targeted edits to their themes, time horizons, and trade-off language, ultimately producing a sharper roadmap and a written trade-off narrative. Mastery in Lesson 6.1 is shown not by a flawless plan, but by the learner’s ability to communicate, defend, and adapt their roadmap as a responsible steward of vision, value, and constraints.
Full Lesson Text

Lesson 6.1 invites learners to step fully into the role of Product Owner by placing their roadmap in front of others and letting it be questioned. The focus is less on designing new features and more on practicing how to communicate priorities, listen to concerns, and refine a plan without losing sight of the product vision.

The studio opens by grounding learners in the work they have already done. They briefly restate their product vision, their key outcome themes, and the “Now/Next/Later” structure or other time horizons used in Lesson 6. This recap reminds them that the roadmap is not a standalone artifact; it is a reflection of deeper thinking about users, stakeholders, and value over time.

Anticipating Stakeholder Challenges

Before presenting, learners imagine how different stakeholders might react to their roadmap. Users may care most about pain relief and faster access to value. Leadership might focus on visibility, risk, and alignment with strategic goals. Operations and support teams may worry about stability and capacity. By anticipating these perspectives, learners prepare themselves to respond without becoming defensive or derailed.

They also define success from their own standpoint as Product Owners. Success might mean that stakeholders can accurately restate the key outcomes of the roadmap, see at least one trade-off as intentional, or leave with a clearer sense of what “Now” truly means for the next few cycles of work.

Roadmap Story & Presentation

Learners then draft a short talk track for a three-to-five minute roadmap presentation. The talk track begins with a quick reminder of the product vision and the users or contexts it serves. It then moves through the outcome themes and time horizons, emphasizing what users and stakeholders will feel now, what improvements will come next, and what longer-term ambitions are on the horizon.

Crucially, the talk track includes at least one explicit statement of trade-offs. The learner names what is being deferred, for whom, and why that decision is the best next step given current constraints, risks, and overlaps with other work in the system.

Stress-Testing the Roadmap

In pairs, small groups, or through written prompts, learners present their roadmap and invite challenge. Peers play the role of different stakeholders, asking questions about value timing, risk exposure, neglected groups, and realistic capacity. As these questions arise, learners discover where their roadmap is already robust and where the logic or communication feels thin.

Rather than defending every detail, learners are encouraged to listen for patterns in the feedback. If multiple voices question the same theme label or time placement, that may signal a need to clarify the outcome or adjust the plan. If stakeholders seem confused about the connection between vision and near-term work, the Product Owner may need to strengthen the narrative, not just the diagram.

Refinement & Trade-Off Narrative

After the review, learners make targeted edits: they may rename a theme in more user-centered language, shift a story from “Next” to “Now,” or explicitly mark which outcomes are intentionally being postponed. Alongside these edits, they write a trade-off narrative—one or two paragraphs that explain what the roadmap commits to now, what it defers, and why this is the most responsible path forward for users and stakeholders.

This narrative practice matters because trade-offs live at the heart of Product Ownership. A strong Product Owner can speak about trade-offs without apology or evasion, framing them as thoughtful decisions rather than failures or compromises.

Mastery in Lesson 6.1

The studio closes with reflections on when the learner felt most like a Product Owner during the process and how they expect their roadmap to evolve after one or two cycles of real feedback. Mastery in Lesson 6.1 is visible when a learner can present a coherent roadmap, connect it to vision and stakeholder realities, name and defend trade-offs, and adjust details in response to challenge while preserving the core intent of the plan.

In a single sentence, mastery sounds like: “I can tell the story of our roadmap, listen to challenge, and adapt our plan while still protecting the outcomes that matter most.”

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LS 101 · Lesson 6.1 Activity
Roadmap Review & Trade-Off Narrative Studio
Use this studio worksheet to summarize your roadmap from Lesson 6, anticipate stakeholder challenges, rehearse a short presentation, capture feedback, and refine your roadmap and trade-off narrative.

Bring in your outcome-based roadmap and notes from Lesson 6. This activity will guide you through a structured roadmap review: clarifying your core intent, preparing for stakeholder questions, rehearsing a talk track, capturing feedback, and producing a refined roadmap plus a written trade-off narrative that demonstrates Lesson 6.1 mastery.

1. Roadmap Snapshot & Core Intent +

Briefly list your outcome themes and the main time horizons you used (for example, Now/Next/Later or Q1–Q3).

Use the vision from Lesson 3. Center users, the core problem or desire, and the outcome you aim to create.

In 2–3 sentences, describe the main outcome your roadmap is trying to deliver over the next few cycles of work.

2. Stakeholder Perspectives & Likely Challenges +

List at least three groups (for example, teachers, students, school leaders, operations, support, parents).

Capture 4–6 likely questions, focusing on value timing, risk, equity, visibility, or capacity.

Define success criteria in PO terms (for example, stakeholders can restate the outcomes, see trade-offs as intentional, and understand what “Now” means).

3. Roadmap Talk Track – 3–5 Minute Presentation +

Draft 2–4 sentences that anchor your roadmap in the product vision and who it serves.

Write the core of your talk track. How will you describe what happens “Now,” what comes “Next,” and what is planned for “Later,” through the lens of your outcome themes?

Draft one clear statement that names a trade-off (what you are deferring, for whom, and why) in calm, outcome- centered language.

4. Feedback & Stress-Test Notes +

Capture key questions, objections, or confusion points from peers or simulated stakeholders.

Note places where your reasoning, ordering, or trade-off explanation felt solid and persuasive.

Identify specific parts of the roadmap or narrative that felt weak or confusing when challenged.

5. Refined Roadmap & Trade-Off Narrative +

Describe changes to outcome themes, story ordering, or time horizons and why you are making them.

Write a short narrative that explains what you are committing to now, what you are deferring, and why this roadmap is the best next step for your users and stakeholders.

Capture one or two adjustments you will make to your language, visuals, or pacing.

6. Reflection – Product Owner Posture +

Reflect on a moment when you were actively balancing vision, value, and constraints instead of just filling out a template.

Describe how user data, stakeholder input, or system constraints might shift your plan.

Write one simple principle you want to remember as you make future Product Owner decisions.

Generated Lesson 6.1 Mastery Summary (copy or print):
Lesson 6.1 Mastery?
Complete all six sections of this studio with thoughtful responses. When every section shows sufficient depth, this badge will glow to signal that you’ve demonstrated Lesson 6.1 mastery and are ready to carry this roadmap into future LS 101 work.