A roadmap turns a goal into a direction others can discuss and act on. In project discovery, a product roadmap outlines intended features or changes. It is usually created by a product manager in collaboration with an engineering manager. The engineering manager also develops a technical roadmap aligned with strategic goals. section 10.1.1
A useful team roadmap makes the path visible without pretending every detail is settled:
- Identify the key initiatives, milestones, and actions needed to reach the team’s goals and vision. section 3.2.1
- Consider resources, timing, risks, and dependencies with other teams; seek leadership buy-in where needed. section 3.2.1
- Explain the value of proposed work and test promising ideas for feasibility during discovery. section 10.1.1
A roadmap is not the same as a detailed project plan. Once projects are identified, preplanning establishes priorities, scope, and stakeholders. Planning and kickoff then address matters such as budgets, staffing, communication channels, and a project tracker. Review the roadmap as feedback, priorities, or external conditions change. section 10.3 section 3.2.1
When another team owns a dependency
A platform team modernizing car-rental promotions needs royalty calculations handled by a specialist team. Rather than treating the other team’s roadmap as fixed, its engineering manager meets with that team, learns about its planned calculation-system revamp, and prepares a short business-value case for including the promotion requirements. The aim is to find a joint path that serves the company, not merely one team’s schedule. section 3.2.4
Use the roadmap as a shared reference when priorities conflict. A kickoff meeting can establish common goals, and returning to that direction during disagreements can help keep collaboration on track. Ask: which dependencies need agreement before the next milestone? section 9.3.2 section 3.2.1
