A roadmap shows your epics in order over time. It is true only if the dates are true.
What it contains
For every epic: a title, an owner, a start date, a due date, a status and its dependencies.
How to build it
- List your epics.
- Order them by value, risk and dependency.
- Write one sentence for why each comes where it does.
- Add start and due dates.
- Mark dependencies (“B cannot start before A ends”).
- Write what you chose not to do.
Forms of a roadmap
| Form | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline view in your git host | Paid tiers of some hosts | Draws bars from epic dates |
| Table in a file | Any free account | Works everywhere. See the epic roadmap template. |
| Milestone list | Any free account | Each milestone has a date and shows progress |
Use what your account supports. The discipline is the same.
Present it in five minutes
- The goal of the product in one sentence.
- The epics in build order.
- One risk.
- One date that changed and why.
- What you chose not to do.
Leaders want the picture, not the issues.
Three views, kept true
- Roadmap for leaders: when will each part land?
- Board for the weekly meeting: what is blocked?
- Issue list for builders: what is the next ready task?
If the views disagree, the builder builds the wrong thing.
Rules
- Change a date the same day the truth changes.
- An epic with no dates is not on the roadmap.
- An epic untouched for two months is a lie on the roadmap. Update or close it.
- A true red bar is useful. A false green bar is harmful.
