A Tale of Two Roadmaps — And Why You Can’t Succeed With Only One
“There is no one-size-fits-all product roadmap. A roadmap can and should look different depending on the situation. Different businesses, different stages of product maturity, different audiences, and different goals might necessitate different roadmap formats.” — C. Todd Lombardo
Once upon a time, in a city like yours, two versions of a roadmap emerged. The first was a precise set of tasks, milestones, and deliverables for the diligent civil servants tasked with building — the engineers, designers, and product managers. The second was a simplified, big-picture version meant to guide the city’s council of stakeholders — a select panel of investors, business executives, and customers.
In the product team’s, err, I mean civil servants’ headquarters, the roadmap was a living document, evolving like a dynamic organism. It was ever-changing, reflecting the fluid nature of product development. But within this complexity lay its charm. Each intricate detail marked a step towards the outcome.
In contrast, the stakeholders’ roadmap was a beacon of simplicity. It was the lighthouse guiding the product through the sea of strategic objectives without getting lost in the turbulent waves of change. It offered a clear, unwavering vision of the future, aligning all stakeholders without overwhelming them. It was strategy over tactics, outcomes over output.
A fateful mistake was made, despite careful planning. The detailed roadmap intended for the product team was accidentally switched with the one for the stakeholders. The latter group was supposed to get a presentation on the broader vision but instead found themselves in a maze of jargon and details.
The product team, on the other hand, was shown the high-level roadmap. It lacked the details they needed to execute. Both sides started the meeting confident but left bewildered.
The fallout was immediate. The stakeholders, now overly fixated on details, began questioning and challenging every minor decision. The product team, lacking the needed guidance, began making product decisions without context.
Rumors spread across the city that the council of stakeholders considered halting work due to the perceived lack of direction. The product team’s morale nose-dived, fearing their hard work might be wasted.
With both roadmaps exposed to the wrong group, a question loomed: How will the city proceed?
This tale, albeit fictitious, warns of the dangers of misunderstanding and miscommunication. Both roadmaps, though different, are crucial. Yet, they must be presented to the right audience with the right context and time to prevent chaos and mistrust.
The bottom line? There should always be two roadmaps, separate and each with a purpose. The product team’s roadmap is the execution-level blueprint, while the stakeholders’ roadmap reflects the strategic north star. And while transparency is critical, the lens through which information is viewed must be carefully chosen to ensure understanding, alignment, and trust.
Why two versions?
Creating two versions of a roadmap — one for stakeholders (including customers) and one for the product and engineering team — allows for more effective communication and management of expectations, as each group has distinct needs and areas of interest.
Much like an artist’s impressionistic painting, the stakeholder roadmap paints broad strokes of the future. This roadmap doesn’t get bogged down in the minutiae but focuses on strategy, alignment, and value in terms of return on investment.
To stakeholders, it’s less about the bricks and more about the palace they’re building. When they ask about features, it’s often not the wallpaper they’re curious about but whether the palace will have the towers and turrets they envision.
Therefore, the stakeholders’ roadmap is more strategic, high-level, outcome-focused, and stable. Frequent changes can create confusion or concern.
But a palace must be built to exist, brick by brick.
Enter the product team roadmap. This roadmap is the architect’s blueprint, filled with the specifics — the precise measurements, materials, and methods. For our builders — engineers, designers, and product managers — it’s about knowing which brick goes where understanding the sequence, and ensuring the foundation is strong. This roadmap is alive, changing to the rhythm of feedback, tests, and new challenges.
The product team roadmap is an essential tool for planning, coordination, and tracking progress within the team. Unlike the stakeholders’ roadmap, this one is dynamic and subject to frequent updates as the team iterates.
By maintaining two versions of the roadmap, you can ensure that each group receives the level of detail and type of information most useful and relevant to them while also managing expectations and avoiding confusion.
It’s all about providing the right information to the right people at the right time.
Tips for managing two roadmaps
Managing and maintaining two versions of a roadmap is a challenge, no doubt. But trust me; it saves significant time and headaches. Rather than resist, here are a few tips to keep the versions well-groomed.
- One: Keep them in sync. This should go without saying. Never let one decouple from the other.
- Two: Use a tool to manage them. Tools make the maintenance of two versions much simpler. Changes to one, sync immediately with the other.
- Three: Make changes, even minor changes, after a review with the team. This prevents future conflicting changes. If your product is large and complex, I’d suggest a structured intake process for changes.
- Four: Schedule changes to prevent conflicts. When more than one product manager works on a product, the possibility of conflict begins. With each new product manager added beyond two, the potential for conflict in the roadmap goes up exponentially.
- Five: Keep one source of the truth. Make sure you have one version (or one view if you use a tool) locked down. Only make changes after review and when scheduled. Deal with any conflicts on the spot.
Wrapping it up
The art of crafting a product roadmap, as told through the tale of two roadmaps, underscores the importance of tailoring the roadmap and setting appropriate expectations for different audiences. Remember that roadmap must serve two or more distinct audiences: the internal product and engineering teams who need the details while maintaining flexibility, and stakeholders/customers, who only need a high-level view that gives them confidence in strategic direction.
Good luck and happy building!
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