Why Roadmaps Become Problematic Commitments

Christian sits down with Lea to demystify roadmaps, stripping them down to their job-to-be-done: connect strategy to execution without pretending ideas are certainties. They dig into how to craft outcome-based roadmaps that ladder to business results, when timeframes beat dates, and how to use high-integrity commitments without turning your plan into a promise trap, or feature factory.

Today’s episode will discuss:

• Why executives love roadmaps yet teams resent them

• The two types of roadmaps destined to fail

• How to frame outcomes in a roadmap

• Why timeframes trump dates

• When to use high-integrity commitments (HICs)

• Coaching leaders to swap false control of features for real control of context

• The four common roadmap anti-patterns

• Who really owns the roadmap

• How to ensure roadmaps and OKRs get along nicely

• Earning trust with evidence and measuring impact, not output

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References:

• Apple (iPhone): https://www.apple.com/iphone/

• Atlassian Jira: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira

• High-Integrity Commitments: https://www.svpg.com/managing-commitments-in-an-agile-team/

• Slack: https://slack.com/

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More from SVPG on roadmaps:

• SVPG on product roadmaps: https://www.svpg.com/product-roadmaps/

• SVPG on outcomes: https://www.svpg.com/outcomes-are-hard/

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Where to find Lea Hickman:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahickman/

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Where to find Christian Idiodi:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/

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Where to find SVPG:

• Books: https://www.svpg.com/books/

• Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/

• Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/

• Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos/

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Timestamps:

(1:06) What is a roadmap?

(02:18) Why roadmaps are often hated

(04:18) The problem with top-down roadmaps

(05:32) You need outcome-based roadmaps

(10:02) Why roadmaps shouldn’t have dates

(12:38) How to give teams greater roadmap autonomy

(16:08) The four most common roadmap traps

(20:04) Who should own a roadmap?

(21:47) Focus on outcomes, not features

(25:24) Can roadmaps and OKRs co-exist?

(30:06) High-integrity commitments in roadmaps

(32:33) How to navigate the politics of roadmaps

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Disclaimer:

While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/

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Production:

Production by supermix.io