A roadmap is not a release plan.
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A release plan is a tactical commitment. It specifies exactly what features your engineering team will deliver and when. It is entirely about outputs.
A roadmap is a strategic vision. It specifies what customer problems you are solving and why they matter. It is entirely about outcomes for your customer and your business.
When you treat your roadmap like a release plan you set yourself up to fail.
Features take longer than expected. Priorities shift. If you promise specific execution dates for every item on a 2-year (even 1-year) roadmap you will inevitably fail on something and break trust with your stakeholders.
Keep your release plan tactical (and short). Keep your roadmap strategic.
Back from the road
I just wrapped up a week of executive meetings in California. This exact confusion between roadmaps and release plans came up constantly. How do you keep your long term strategy separate from tactical execution? Hit reply and let me know.