At the first #LDNArcs of 2026 tonight at ThirdEye Consulting where Sam Wadhwani MCMI ChMC gave us a 6 minute crash course on “How to Create Roadmaps That Actually Work”.
OK here’s a quick write up with the help of fieldy and Claude:
He opened with a stat: 24% of Salesforce projects failed last year.
Then asked: “Who’s been in an environment where delivery priority is based on who shouts the loudest?”
Every hand went up.
Here’s what roadmaps actually solve:
Organisations operate under permanent constraints – more demands than capacity, more ideas than funding.
Most default to “close proximity focus” (dealing with whatever’s immediately urgent), which gives false certainty but creates long-term consequences.
What roadmaps are NOT:
🥦Fixed plans with set dates
🥦Commitments to predict the future
🥦Detailed technical solutions
What they actually provide:
→ Executives get confidence there’s a plan without pretending we can predict the future
→ Delivery teams get direction without false precision
→ Architects get a way to connect strategy with structure
The thing is: When leadership says “every release seems harder,” our instinct is retrospective.
But roadmaps are forward-looking. It’s not about past decisions – it’s about the decisions we’re about to make next.
How to create one:
1️⃣Define your constraints (the non-negotiables)
2️⃣Focus on capabilities needed (outcomes, not solutions)
3️⃣Map options to get there (approaches, not tech specs)
4️⃣Create horizons (meaningful states, not dates)
5️⃣Iterate for stakeholder alignment
Three types of roadmaps:
🍩Capability: For executives (business-focused)
🍩Compliance: For regulatory requirements
🍩Technology: For managing debt and platform evolution
We practiced on a fictional retailer trying to cut their 9-12 month product cycle. Success criteria? Clear articulation of what comes first, what comes next, and why.
The real lesson: Roadmaps aren’t about perfect answers. They’re about shared understanding that stops organizational politics from driving priorities.
The best roadmap is the one everyone can use to make better decisions today.
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ALSO! Today’s session marked the most number of lady architects in attendance! 😍
I’ve been to almost every #LDNArcs meetup since inception and am sooo glad to see so many of us here tonight… But we need a bigger representation!
Thank you CGL Tom Bassett Martin Gardner Raksha Sanganee for organising ❤️