There may be no greater ongoing source of confusion, mis-set expectations, and outright deception than the ubiquitous software product road map. Are you tired of road map heartburn? Then take the Road Mapper’s Anonymous pledge and swear off bad habits forever!
A roadmap can be a commitment OR a plan, but not both. While execs and product management see a roadmap as a rough plan, those in the field frequently present it as a guarantee. If it’s a plan, it can be changed; if it’s a commitment, it cannot be changed. And many want both–”I want the commitment and I want carte blanche to change it.”
One product manager found recently that her roadmap, delivered in PowerPoint format, was routinely being changed by sales people and the president, yet it still had her name on the roadmap. I suggested she use PDF format from now on.
Read the full article for some great ideas and tips.
