Roads are set, routes are discovered — making the case for routemaps in product and service delivery

When we lived in Ottawa, friends of the family got us all hooked on bouldering. Bouldering is sub-genre of rock climbing where the climb is based on a short but tricky problem to be solved. Indoor bouldering involves gyms setting new climbs on a regular basis for climbers to enjoy figuring out how to solve these puzzles. In almost all cases you will find that there is more than one route to complete the climb.

As someone with a professional interest in product management things like roadmaps and an amateur interest in wilderness sports, I’ve been struck by some of the similarities in principles, practices and terminology between the two. That’s mostly just been a bit of fun — you can’t push analogies too far. But that’s [playfully] going to be my point.

I’d like to push for us to shift from referring to ‘roadmaps’ and to refer instead to ‘routemaps’.

This isn’t my first attempt, but I haven’t pitched my case like this before.

The roadmap — so our orthodox analogy goes — is the plan for how you’ll realise your product, with the goals or features you’ll add along the way. You are going on a trip and, there are landmarks, checkpoints and places of interest. You might know the major roads you’ll take, but sometimes, the details of might change — like diversions or new stops. However, the destination remains the same. It’s an analogy that’s served us well. And had its time.

In climbing and mountaineering, discovering and successfully ascending a new route is a significant achievement, often noted for its innovation, challenge, and the unknown factors involved, be that in a newly accessed face or a familiar mountain. Those same sort of things are what motivate and intrigue product and service teams, I reckon, whether they are launching a market or disrupting one.

A ‘roadmap’ traditionally represents a static document showing roads and their connections, focusing on fixed paths. In contrast, a ‘routemap’ more accurately reflects the dynamic and adaptive nature of product development, where the route may change based on conditions, obstacles, and opportunities.

Product development is rarely linear. ‘Routemap’ implies flexibility and the ability to choose different paths depending on real-time data and changes, which is more aligned with user-centred, agile methodologies.

Modern product design and development practices emphasise iteration and responsiveness. ‘Routemaps’ suggests an ongoing process of navigation, where routes are drawn in progress and frequently revisited and adjusted — much like product teams must pivot and adapt as they receive new feedback or encounter unforeseen challenges.

The term ‘roadmap’ might give the false impression to our stakeholders of a fixed and unchangeable plan. ‘Routemap’ conveys a clearer message that the plan is a guide rather than a strict path, reducing the risk of stakeholders expecting a rigid, unalterable plan.

The term ‘routemap’ can also resonate more with the concept of a user’s journey through services, acknowledging that multiple routes can lead to the desired outcome.

Language evolves with industry practices and experiences. ‘Routemap’ represents a modern, updated term that better matches the current state of the product and service delivery field.

Adopting ‘routemap’ reflect a broader cultural shift within our domain, emphasising adaptability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and even — dare I stretch it — climate consciousness.

I’m going to start referring to routemaps more routinely, and less bashfully. Are you up for it?