A roadmap sits between strategy and execution. Where strategy names the destination, the roadmap lays out the route: which initiatives come first, how they depend on one another, and which capabilities must be in place before the next phase can begin. It communicates intent across the organization without prescribing every task.
The best roadmaps are outcome-oriented rather than feature lists. They express why each phase exists in terms of the value it unlocks, and they stay adaptable, updated as assumptions are tested and conditions change.