CAPM Practice: Demonstrate an understanding of product roadmaps

Customer-facing roadmaps communicate direction at a safe level of specificity — themes and general timelines, not internal priorities or technical details. Internal roadmaps are more detailed to support planning but may include sensitive strategic information inappropriate to share externally.

**Why not A:** Customer-facing and internal roadmaps are not identical documents. They differ in audience, level of detail, and purpose. Internal roadmaps typically include technical initiatives, resource allocations, and dependencies that would confuse or overwhelm external audiences. Treating them as identical risks sharing sensitive operational details or overwhelming customers with irrelevant information.

**Why not B:** While customer-facing roadmaps are shared externally and internal roadmaps stay within the organization, characterizing them as "public marketing vs. private engineering" oversimplifies their roles. Customer-facing roadmaps communicate strategic direction and planned value delivery, not just marketing messages. Internal roadmaps guide cross-functional planning, not just engineering work.

**Why not D:** Neither type of roadmap is a legally binding commitment. Roadmaps are strategic planning tools that communicate direction and intent, subject to change as priorities evolve. Framing one as legally binding creates dangerous expectations and misrepresents how roadmaps function in product management. Both are advisory by nature, though they differ in specificity and audience.