technical-roadmaps

SKILL.md

Help teams create written technical roadmaps aligned to business outcomes using structured frameworks.

Applies the Rumelt framework to organize strategy into three parts: Diagnosis (core technical challenge), Guiding Policies (decision-making principles), and Actions (specific initiatives)

Emphasizes documenting strategy in writing so it can be critiqued, improved, and aligned across teams rather than existing only in leadership's head

Flags common pitfalls including tool proliferation, unwritten strategies, and technical work disconnected from business value

Guides users to define a "standard kit" of approved technologies to reduce maintenance burden and focus engineering effort on product problems rather than technical novelty

Technical Roadmaps

Help the user create effective technical roadmaps using frameworks and insights from 1 product leader.

How to Help

When the user asks for help with technical roadmaps:

Understand the context - Ask about their current technical state, team size, and business constraints

Ensure it's written down - A strategy that isn't documented can't be debugged or aligned around

Apply the Rumelt framework - Structure as Diagnosis (what's the problem), Guiding Policies (principles for decisions), and Actions (what you'll do)

Favor boring strategies - Help them resist the urge to introduce new tools when existing ones would suffice

Core Principles

Write it down

Will Larson: "The first rule of strategy is that if you write it down, then you can improve it. If it's not written down, it's hard to say if this PM is just not a good PM or if they're trying to apply a strategy they've misunderstood." A written strategy provides a baseline that can be critiqued and improved.