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Product Therapy · Nov 13, 2025 · 38 min

Coaching Roadmaps

Christian sits down with Lea to demystify roadmaps, stripping them down to their job-to-be-done: connect strategy to execution without pretending ideas are certainties. They dig into how to craft outcome-based roadmaps that ladder to business results, when timeframes beat dates, and how to use high-integrity commitments without turning your plan into a promise trap, or feature factory. Today’s episode will discuss: Why executives love roadmaps yet teams resent them The two types of roadmaps destined to fail How to frame outcomes in a roadmap Why timeframes trump dates When to use high-integrity commitments (HICs) Coaching leaders to swap false control of features for real control of context The four common roadmap anti-patterns Who really owns the roadmap How to ensure roadmaps and OKRs get along nicely Earning trust with evidence and measuring impact, not output - References: Apple (iPhone): https://www.apple.com/iphone/ Atlassian Jira: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira High-Integrity Commitments: https://www.svpg.com/managing-commitments-in-an-agile-team/ Slack: https://slack.com/ - More from SVPG on roadmaps: SVPG on product roadmaps: https://www.svpg.com/product-roadmaps/ SVPG on outcomes: https://www.svpg.com/outcomes-are-hard/ - Where to find Lea Hickman: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahickman/ - Where to find Christian Idiodi: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/ - Where to find SVPG: Books: https://www.svpg.com/books/ Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/ Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/ Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos/ - Timestamps: (1:06) What is a roadmap? (02:18) Why roadmaps are often hated (04:18) The problem with top-down roadmaps (05:32) You need outcome-based roadmaps (10:02) Why roadmaps shouldn’t have dates (12:38) How to give teams greater roadmap autonomy (16:08) The four most common roadmap traps (20:04) Who should own a roadmap? (21:47) Focus on outcomes, not features (25:24) Can roadmaps and OKRs co-exist? (30:06) High-integrity commitments in roadmaps (32:33) How to navigate the politics of roadmaps - Disclaimer: While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/ - Production: Production by supermix.io

0:00-38:21

transcript

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show notes

Christian sits down with Lea to demystify roadmaps, stripping them down to their job-to-be-done: connect strategy to execution without pretending ideas are certainties. They dig into how to craft outcome-based roadmaps that ladder to business results, when timeframes beat dates, and how to use high-integrity commitments without turning your plan into a promise trap, or feature factory.


Today’s episode will discuss:

  • Why executives love roadmaps yet teams resent them

  • The two types of roadmaps destined to fail

  • How to frame outcomes in a roadmap

  • Why timeframes trump dates

  • When to use high-integrity commitments (HICs)

  • Coaching leaders to swap false control of features for real control of context

  • The four common roadmap anti-patterns

  • Who really owns the roadmap

  • How to ensure roadmaps and OKRs get along nicely

  • Earning trust with evidence and measuring impact, not output

-

References:

-

More from SVPG on roadmaps:

-

Where to find Lea Hickman:

-

Where to find Christian Idiodi:

-

Where to find SVPG:

-

Timestamps:

(1:06) What is a roadmap?

(02:18) Why roadmaps are often hated

(04:18) The problem with top-down roadmaps

(05:32) You need outcome-based roadmaps

(10:02) Why roadmaps shouldn’t have dates

(12:38) How to give teams greater roadmap autonomy

(16:08) The four most common roadmap traps

(20:04) Who should own a roadmap?

(21:47) Focus on outcomes, not features

(25:24) Can roadmaps and OKRs co-exist?

(30:06) High-integrity commitments in roadmaps

(32:33) How to navigate the politics of roadmaps

-

Disclaimer:

While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/

-

Production:

Production by supermix.io

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