Remember the world before whatsapp? It wasn't so long back when communication costed a lot more and less instant. There is no denying the fact how things are changing at a speed faster than ever, affecting every aspect of our lives and more importantly our plans, the long term ones. I remember attending a town hall with IBM's Internal Group on its 5 years Road Map in 2010, coincidentally, now a good 5 years back during my Pre-MBA days. I wonder if such things even make any sense any more, that too for an IT Giant! Even if they do make sense, as a huge enterprise needs to have a defined path and strategy to drive its growth from top to the bottom, I wonder how accommodating or broader such road maps are given the immense disruptions a firm might overlook from technology to a change in its imminent issues concerning anything under the sun.
This Roadmap theory won't just apply to firms and their driving strategies. In fact this very idea came up from the mushrooming world of startups. Something even as simple as a basic technology product or an app would fall under the same. They just need to have an open ear and the flexibility to listen, implement and deliver the same. The whole point being, it's a catch-22 with customers evolving with the advanced services or products Taking another example which comes up after some good listening from the biggies in the Banking industry, it becomes obvious that the sophistication of the apps and customers understanding has led us to exactly the opposite of what was expected - a simplified life! Such an oxymoron. However, as outdated as they might appear in a long term, roadmaps are more needed as an instantaneous factor. They help you sell your present to the future and in short get in some moolah into your account.
To put it in a line - Permanence is such a necessary illusion.