roadmap

A roadmap is a high-level plan that communicates an organization’s strategic direction for a product, project, or portfolio over a future time frame. It links vision and priorities to planned outcomes, helping stakeholders understand where the effort is headed and why.

Roadmaps come in several forms. A product roadmap outlines features and releases; a technology or architectural roadmap maps system evolution; a project roadmap highlights milestones and delivery dates; a portfolio roadmap shows alignment of multiple initiatives with strategic goals. The appropriate type depends on audience and purpose.

Common components include the strategic objective, themes or initiatives, a timeline or horizon, milestones or releases, deliverables, dependencies, and success metrics. Some roadmaps use time lanes (months or quarters) with linked initiatives, while others present a more flexible, theme-based view.

Roadmaps are typically created by product managers or program managers in collaboration with engineering, design, marketing, and leadership. They are living documents that evolve as priorities, resources, and market conditions change. Regular reviews and versioning help maintain alignment across stakeholders.

Usage and limitations: roadmaps communicate direction, set priorities, and coordinate work across teams. They are not equivalent to detailed schedules or backlogs, and they inherently involve uncertainty and change. Dates may be approximate, and emphasis should be on outcomes and value.

Relation to other artifacts: backlogs describe specific tasks and priorities; Gantt charts show detailed scheduling; roadmaps provide the high-level context and rationale driving those plans.