The Fundamentals of Roadmapping

Julia Austin's comprehensive framework for strategic roadmapping emphasizes that 'the best a leader can do is set a 12-18 month strategic plan that is directionally aligned with the company's true north' rather than attempting 3-5 year predictions. The framework includes: True North (mission statement providing long-term impact focus, like DigitalOcean's 'To Empower Developers To Build Great Software'), 12-18 month vision statement (clear near-term impacts like market adoption or financial metrics), Quarterly OKRs/KPIs (brief, achievable goals with stretch, using traffic light system), and operational roadmaps cascaded from strategic foci with specific initiatives and milestones. The six-quarter rolling process involves rating last quarter's results, reviewing upcoming goals, adjusting assumptions, communicating updated plans, and creating tactical roadmaps. Key considerations include avoiding 'peanut buttering' (spreading resources too thin), appointing roadmap owners, establishing Rules of Engagement for disruptions, and prioritizing backlog/tech debt (3-10% resource allocation). Engineering leaders will learn that roadmapping supports productivity without becoming the work itself, with clear tradeoff communication and minimal process overhead.