What are the main components of a program-level technology roadmap?
Technical program managers at Facebook are often responsible for the creation, maintenance, and communication of technology roadmaps. Interviewers ask this question to determine if a candidate understands the types of information they will be responsible for communicating through these important deliverables.
Remember to demonstrate your understanding that a strategic roadmap for a program of work is different than a roadmap for a product or a project. Program roadmaps synthesize the work of multiple teams and projects together to communicate from a big picture point of view.
"I have worked with a number of formats for developing strategic roadmaps. They have all been a little different and fully customized to show the information that was the most valuable to the audience. However, in each case, I consider the same bodies of work and milestones for display.
First, I break down my roadmap by workstream. I typically have a mix of technology-driven streams such as infrastructure, cloud, mobile, app, and support. When relevant, I include lanes that represent product activities such as marketing campaigns, launches, live events, or partner events. I visually demonstrate the major bodies of work, the time frame, and the progress for each. I also show when major releases are scheduled. This helps to communicate interdependencies between teams.
Finally, I list major milestones. These may be company, competitor, product, or team-related. The goal is to list any significant dates that the various leaders I work with need insight into. It is important for each group to know when major events happen and how their work feeds into the process."
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