The Argument for Public Product Roadmaps

“Can you please share your roadmap?”

“What are your plans to engineer feature xxx?"

“Great product, but does your vision match ours?”

I've received these questions all the time, from customers, partners, and analysts.

When leading Product Marketing at an open source software vendor, I felt it antithetical to be open and transparent about code, financials and priorities - but not about our actual product roadmaps. So we decided to open-up our product and solution roadmaps for each product. And on reflection, if you're selling enterprise software, it's probably a good idea for you to consider this approach too (whether or not your product is open source).

Why do this? Are you crazy?
There are a number of reasons to consider taking this bold step - a step that many high-tech companies shun as competitively risky - and thus guard their roadmaps with absurd paranoia.

• Public roadmaps are consistent with openness and your customer community
  I trust the customer/partner community, and they can only trust you if they know your plans. That way they are always involved in your development and you'll be able to best deliver meaningful new features, contributions, and roadmap suggestions.
• Public roadmaps signal honesty and transparency
  Transparency is key to building trust between partners. A public roadmap helps committers, partners and customers to know you're not pulling any punches with your direction. With transparent roadmaps, your technology partners know what to expect… and have a proactive vehicle to comment on the direction.
• Public roadmaps are good to build customer trust
  When customers buy into your platform, they’re putting their technology direction on the line. They want to know if you'll be evolving in the direction they want. For them, it’s all about mitigating long-term technology risk. This way, “opening the kimono” and boldly stating direction, is just plain good for the long-term relationship.
• Public roadmaps show your pride, confidence, vision
  Assuming you're proud of your engineering, and confident in your company, you should show it. Your thought leadership material ought to indicate direction - but put deeds behind words, and commit to technology direction following your higher-level vision.
• Public roadmaps are good for businessIn sales situations, customers often ask pointed questions about specific (missing) features. And the usual answer “yup, we’re working on supporting it” is always received with skepticism. However, public roadmaps put your money where your mouth is… either it’s on the roadmap, or it’s not. And if the roadmap doesn't reflect mutual direction, work with customers/partners to change the roadmap… with everyone else to see.


Are you nuts? The competition will clobber us!
In reality, your competition is probably dealing with their own internal politics, debates and direction - and may not have time to seriously consider yours. And if they do take your roadmap into account, that generally indicates that they'll be a follower, not a leader.

OK, I get it. But what will Legal say? 
True, your counsel will generally play the safe/conservative card. Their concern generally takes one of two angles: (a) Corporate liability if you somehow don't fulfill on your promises to customers and/or to the market, and (b) risk to near-term revenue by possibly stalling sales... if customers sit back and wait for you to actually deliver on the promised features.

To these, I respond with a bit of marketing pragmatism: First, you should always add some form of legal disclaimer to your roadmaps. Roadmaps are your best, honest intentions - but they're not guarantees... so say so.  And, roadmaps have to do with *direction*, not necessarily with granular specifics - so it's OK to be vague and avoid details that could changes as development runs its course. 

And regarding stalling purchases/revenue, consider this: If a customer is going to delay a purchase to see whether you deliver on a roadmap component, you probably run a greater risk of that customer going to a competitor in the interim.  So I say, try to win them over *now* with your direction, and maintain their allegiance as you build on your roadmap.

Thoughts? In the theme of transparency, I'd love to hear yours !

Other Resources: 

• We made our product roadmap public — and haven’t regretted it (Venturebeat)
• Radical Transparency: Our Product Roadmap Is Public And People Love It (ProPad)
• Why should you have a Public Roadmap and how to build your Public Product Roadmap (Holistics... with a nice list of public roadmaps)

(Note:  A version of this blog originally posted March, 2019 on wso2.com)