ChoChoBongo
What do you do when product tells you its not on the roadmap or won't be prioritized until 2023?
What do you do when product is slipping?
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In my experience, roadmaps are not a static, written in blood, carved in stone document.
Roadmaps can (and should) change around the needs of the customer. However, salespeople also are in a unique position where all they see is what the prospect asks for, not what the clients need, not the backend development needed, not the stuff that investors are asking for.
I try not to ever recommend the "just leave!" mode, especially not here. A product manager's job is to piss off the fewest possible people and it's not an easy job.
Roadmaps can (and should) change around the needs of the customer. However, salespeople also are in a unique position where all they see is what the prospect asks for, not what the clients need, not the backend development needed, not the stuff that investors are asking for.
I try not to ever recommend the "just leave!" mode, especially not here. A product manager's job is to piss off the fewest possible people and it's not an easy job.
Roadmaps are a dialogue in motion, ever-changing. Like a lot of questions on forums, there's a lot of context missing from this question.
Just off the top of my head, some questions I'd have for you are:
Is this the first time you've brought this up?
How many other inputs does the product team have?
Is this a wish list that a prospect is bringing up (i.e. potentially a way that they're telling a salesperson to buzz off, not a real wish) or is it something pertinent for a current, paying customer?
Even if it's something from a current, paying customer, is it a nice-to-have or a drop-dead-canceling-tomorrow thing?
Just off the top of my head, some questions I'd have for you are:
Is this the first time you've brought this up?
How many other inputs does the product team have?
Is this a wish list that a prospect is bringing up (i.e. potentially a way that they're telling a salesperson to buzz off, not a real wish) or is it something pertinent for a current, paying customer?
Even if it's something from a current, paying customer, is it a nice-to-have or a drop-dead-canceling-tomorrow thing?
In addition to explaining "why" clients to continue to ask for this... if you feel it is an important feature / functionality, put together a quick table listing the opportunities/upside + annual revenue it could generate.
As an example, we had one important integration PM would not really recognize. Submitting the request in terms of revenue, the Chief Product Officer shifted priorities and added it to the near term product roadmap.
As an example, we had one important integration PM would not really recognize. Submitting the request in terms of revenue, the Chief Product Officer shifted priorities and added it to the near term product roadmap.
Best way to get things bumped up on the roadmap is to document the high demand for the feature. Have your colleagues beat the drum alongside you. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.
I'd make a case for why it should be included (e.g. what are the deals we are leaving on the table by not having it, will our current customers leave because of it... whats the $ impact of having it, if it opens up any synergies by bringing in the feature..) If not, I can whine all i want, but nothing will change
Things change and we gotta roll with it.
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