Short answer
Roadmap planning sequences product investments around outcomes, dependencies, evidence, and available capacity.
About Roadmap planning
Roadmap planning is the ability to order product investments so teams can pursue intended outcomes while responding to dependencies, evidence, and capacity.
Use this competency for
- Product roles that sequence multiple initiatives or learning steps.
- Work where dependencies and changing evidence affect when investments should happen.
Do not use this competency for
- Teams that use a fixed delivery schedule with no authority to change scope or sequence.
Important distinctions
Project planning
Project planning organizes tasks and delivery dates for defined work. Roadmap planning orders product investments around outcomes and evidence.
Expectations by level
IC1
Individual contributor 1
With guidance, maintains a roadmap for one bounded product area. Handles known dependencies and updates sequence when delivery facts change.
Observable behaviors
- Links each roadmap item to an intended outcome.
- Records dependencies and owners before work enters the near-term plan.
- Updates roadmap status and rationale when dates or scope change.
Examples
- When an upstream dependency moves, updates the sequence and tells affected partners what changed.
- Before adding an item, asks which existing investment will move or stop.
IC2
Individual contributor 2
Independently plans a product area across uncertain initiatives and shared capacity. Balances outcomes, evidence, dependencies, and tradeoffs rather than treating the roadmap as a promise list.
Observable behaviors
- Sequences discovery, experiments, and delivery according to decision needs.
- Presents capacity tradeoffs when stakeholders request additional work.
- Replans after new evidence changes an initiative’s expected value.
Examples
- When an experiment invalidates an assumption, removes the related delivery phase and reallocates capacity.
- When two initiatives need the same team, compares outcome timing and sequences the dependency explicitly.
IC3
Individual contributor 3
Sets roadmap planning practices across connected teams. Handles portfolio dependencies and changing strategic constraints while enabling teams to make compatible sequencing decisions.
Observable behaviors
- Defines planning horizons and evidence thresholds used across teams.
- Resolves cross-team sequencing conflicts using shared outcomes and constraints.
- Reviews roadmap changes for strategic fit and downstream effects.
Examples
- When several teams depend on one platform change, establishes a shared sequence and decision checkpoints.
- When strategy changes mid-cycle, identifies affected investments and coordinates what stops, continues, or moves.