"A public product roadmap allows your customers to see that you're committed to the future of your product and provides assurance that they've made the right choice in investing their time and money with you."
Having a public product roadmap is an excellent way for your startup to show customers that you're listening, and being transparent about the direction of your product will only help you eventually.
| Benefit | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Increased trust with customers and investors | A public product roadmap can help build trust by demonstrating the startup's commitment to meeting customer needs and delivering on promises. |
| Greater transparency and accountability | A public product roadmap can help increase transparency by sharing information about product development and updates with customers and investors. |
| Clear roadmap for internal teams | A public product roadmap can provide a clear roadmap for internal teams to follow, helping to align product development with customer needs and business goals. |
| Competitive differentiation | A public product roadmap can differentiate the startup from competitors by demonstrating a clear vision and plan for future product development. |
Customers need to know what's coming.
Customers want to know what's coming next, and they would like to know what they can expect from you, your product, and your company. If you're not communicating this information in a way that speaks to them, you're leaving money on the table and making it harder for customers to trust you.
Most products have multiple use cases; therefore, companies must have an overall strategy that serves all of those use cases as well as possible. Many startups make the mistake of focusing on too narrow a subset of their customers' needs when developing their products or services. Without a clear vision about how those products or services will evolve, it becomes difficult for customers to fully trust whatever new features are being added. It is especially true if those features aren't explained explicitly.
Set expectations for new customers and old.
You should also set expectations for customers who are new to your product. Be sure to clearly explain what you're doing and why it matters, especially if these customers don't know your company or its products. It can be tempting to assume everyone knows what you do, but this is often not the case.
You should also set expectations for existing customers by providing updates on where you are in the journey and what to expect from future iterations of your product roadmap. This way, they won't be caught off guard when drastic changes occur later on down the line (which sometimes happens).
It helps with onboarding and activation, especially for SMBs.
Your product roadmap will help your SMB customers be more successful with your product because it helps them understand the value of what you're offering and how they can use it.
For example, if you're a SaaS company with an email scheduling tool, then your SMB customers need to know that email scheduling is built into the product for them to get started using it. They also need to know that once they start using our product, there will be upgrades over time. These upgrades may include added features like text-to-speech or even AI automation features that will make them better able to use our service as they grow their businesses. Seeing this roadmap makes all the difference when it comes down to making those buying decisions.
You can save time, money, and energy by working on items in order of importance from the start.
If you don't know what's important yet, then it's easy to spend endless hours on things that may not directly impact your business goals.
Working on items in order of importance allows you to focus on what matters most and eliminate unnecessary work. It also helps you avoid wasting time on things that aren't critical or could be better handled by someone else with more experience (i.e., hiring an outside agency).
By prioritizing your most significant problems first, everything else falls into place naturally over time. This is because once those high-level items are resolved, they become the foundation upon which other projects rest—and those projects become easier to accomplish once they're given priority status under this new public roadmapping system!
As a startup, you must be transparent with your customers to build trust.
You do this by letting them know exactly what's happening behind the scenes at your company.
Being open about what you are building and when it will be released will help set clear expectations for your customers and prospects, leading to happier customers and higher conversion rates. Having an actual roadmap in place makes it easier for you (and other members of your team) to create content that speaks directly to those needs. It also allows you to explain why certain features have been prioritized over others at different points in time.
Adding more information, such as historical data or trends, can convey even more credibility, so having a public roadmap is like having an encyclopedia that anyone can read anytime they want! Not only does this show transparency, but it also builds credibility because people will see how honest the founders are upfront instead of hiding behind smoke screens or vague statements that don't mean anything.
Challenges with Public Product Roadmaps and How to Overcome Them
| Challenge | Solution |
|---|---|
| Keeping the Roadmap Current | Regularly review and update the roadmap to reflect changing priorities, feedback from customers, and new market trends. Use tools such as customer feedback surveys, user analytics, and competitor analysis to stay up to date. |
| Balancing Transparency and Confidentiality | Strive for transparency in the product roadmap while also maintaining confidentiality for sensitive information such as intellectual property or competitive advantage. Consider sharing high-level goals and timelines with stakeholders while keeping specific details and sensitive information internal. |
| Managing Stakeholder Feedback | Solicit and consider feedback from stakeholders, but be clear about how it will be incorporated into the product roadmap. Prioritize feedback based on its impact on the overall vision and strategy for the product. |
| Ensuring Alignment with Company Goals | Ensure the product roadmap aligns with the overall vision and goals of the company. Use regular meetings with key stakeholders to ensure everyone is aligned and provide regular updates on progress. |
| Avoiding Feature Creep | Resist the urge to add new features or make changes to the roadmap without careful consideration of their impact on the overall vision and strategy for the product. Set clear criteria for evaluating new features and changes to the roadmap and stick to them. |
Startups need to be flexible, but having clarity around priorities will help drive you in the right direction.
You might be thinking: “Wait, shouldn't I just be flexible and let the team make decisions as they go?”
Yes, you should—but there's a difference between being flexible and having clarity around priorities. A public product roadmap helps teams know what to prioritize next and gives your customers some insight into what to expect in the future. It's not an excuse to stop planning or eliminate your vision altogether (that would be disastrous). Instead, consider it to be an opportunity for transparency that empowers everyone involved with your company.
You can even use this tool as a way to communicate with investors!
A public product roadmap is integral to transparency, and transparency is good for a startup.
Customers want to know what's coming because it helps them set expectations for your product and how it will evolve. It also helps with onboarding and activation.
When working on multiple projects at once—which is just about the norm for startups—it can be difficult to prioritize what needs to get done first. A good product roadmap lets you focus on items in order from most critical to least, which saves time, money, and energy over trying to juggle multiple priorities at once.
Having a public roadmap is the right thing to do for your company and your customers. You need to be transparent about what you're working on, why you're doing it, and when it will be done. Transparency allows you to build trust with your users and potential investors, which are critical components of success for a startup. At the same time, it enables you to plan how long certain projects will take and prioritize them based on importance. It's not just common sense—it's an efficient use of resources that can help keep your company alive in the early stages of development.
FAQ
What is a public product roadmap, and why is it important for startups?
A public product roadmap is a document that outlines a company's plans for future product development and releases and shares this information with the outside world. It is essential for startups because it can help build trust with customers and investors, increase transparency and accountability, and help align product development with customer needs.
Why do some startups avoid making their product roadmap public?
Some startups may avoid making their product roadmap public because they fear that competitors will copy their plans or that they may not be able to deliver on their promises. Additionally, startups may feel that they need to maintain secrecy around their plans to maintain a competitive advantage.
What are the benefits of making a product roadmap public?
Making a product roadmap public can offer several benefits for startups, including building trust with customers and investors, increasing transparency and accountability, helping to align product development with customer needs, and providing a clear roadmap for internal teams to follow.
How can a public product roadmap help with customer engagement and retention?
A public product roadmap can help with customer engagement and retention by providing customers with a clear understanding of what features and updates are coming in the future and how those updates will benefit them. This can help build trust with customers and keep them engaged and excited about the product.
How can a public product roadmap help with fundraising?
A public product roadmap can help with fundraising by demonstrating to investors that the startup has a clear plan for future product development and is focused on meeting customer needs. This can help build trust with investors and increase the chances of securing funding.
What should a startup include in its public product roadmap?
A startup should include information about upcoming product features and releases, timelines for those releases, and any other relevant information, such as target customer segments, pricing plans, or product updates.
How can software tools help with creating and managing a public product roadmap?
Software tools can help create and manage a public product roadmap by providing templates and tools for creating visually appealing and informative roadmaps and tools for tracking progress, updating timelines, and communicating with internal and external stakeholders.
What are some best practices for creating and managing a public product roadmap?
Some best practices for creating and managing a public product roadmap include setting realistic timelines and expectations, and regularly updating the roadmap to reflect changes in customer needs or market trends. It is also important to communicate openly and transparently with customers and investors about the company's plans.
How can a public product roadmap be used to gather customer feedback and insights?
A public product roadmap can be used to gather customer feedback and insights by providing a platform for customers to share their thoughts and opinions on upcoming product features and releases. This can help the startup better understand customer needs and preferences and make more informed decisions about future product development.
How can a startup balance the need for transparency with the need for secrecy around certain product plans?
A startup can balance the need for transparency with the need for secrecy by carefully selecting which information to share publicly and which to keep confidential. Be transparent about the company's overall vision and direction while also protecting sensitive information that competitors could use.
