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yo why do they call it a "roadmap", a roadmap shows you roads that are already there the artifact that shows you where roads COULD go is called a "survey"
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Businesses are cars in this metaphor, not road constructors. The roads exist. The question is which one to take and how fast to drive. Businesses that build their own roads are once in a generation, like Amazon or Tesla. Most just drive on roads already laid down.
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i'm thinking in terms of "product roadmap" à la
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Linear roadmaps are misleading without a crystal ball for seeing the future. A roadmap that recognizes the existence of risk as time goes on is more honest. But an effective PM needs to anticipate possible branches, too - and create clear criteria for following each path.
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Three roadmaps:
Misleading roadmap (linear) - “We will follow this linear path from zero to our inevitable victory, and these are the milestones that will get us there.”
Honest roadmap (conical) - “We know where we are today, and have a good idea about the near future, but recognize that the future becomes uncertain.”
Strategic roadmap (diverging paths) - “We know where we are today, and anticipate decision points that will change our path. We are intentionally gathering the data that will help us make those decisions.”
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I’m thinking of how I’ve seen people actually use the term and the associated artifacts. Most often it looks like an execution plan with dated milestones. A list of dates and stage-gates basically. What you’re calling surveying is a different type of scoping activity IMO.
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yeah fair, and i don't doubt you have seen different conceptual entities (and attendant artifacts) called "roadmaps" made by actual c-suiters
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In general, IME good C-suiters have a talent for stripping workflow scaffolding to the barest minimum caveman-level cues you won’t forget even if you’re dead drunk at 3AM in Korea trying to close a deal.
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I was very impressed with Dan Harmon’s reduction of the hero’s journey to 8 words in a circle. It’s simple enough even I wasn’t too lazy to memorize it: You Need Go Search Find Take Return Change No wonder he’s done 2 hit shows. Every other version I’ve seen is too complex.
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That graphic you QTed is well-intentioned but kinda silly. Nobody can keep anything more complex than a linear sequence of 4-5 steps in their head under fog-of-war. It’s not misleading, it’s practical. When it gets invalidated you make a new sequence. It’s strategy zoomed in.
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