Listening to the people within a tech company who know the most about a product and its customers is essential to your company’s success. These internal voices can vary greatly from company-to-company. Sometimes these are SME’s (Subject Matter Experts), sometimes it could be an outspoken Customer Support teammate, and even at a small company it is more often than not the CEO themself. But don’t be daunted by the task. I’ve found it’s always best to absorb as much internal feedback as you can. It doesn’t mean you’ll 100% incorporate it all, but you would be foolish to disregard it by-and-large. From my experience in product management, and leadership roles, I have found the following systems and stragies to be an effective way to bolster your product roadmap — and build the features that will truly benefit your customers.
1. Valuing Frontline Insights from Customer Success and Support
Customer Success and Support teams act as the ears of the organization, much like bartenders who listen to customer stories, desires, and concerns. They have a direct line to customer experiences and can provide invaluable insights into what works and what doesn’t. At Yesware, I regularly held roundtable discussions with Customer Success teams to gather their perspectives. Their feedback on user pain points and feature requests helped us prioritize development efforts that directly addressed customer needs, ultimately improving satisfaction and retention.
2. Leveraging C-Level Perspectives
Engaging with C-Level executives can significantly amplify customer insights. Their strategic vision and cumulative feedback from numerous customer interactions provide a broader perspective that can inform product direction. During my tenure at Vendasta, I frequently consulted with C-Level leaders to understand overarching business goals and customer feedback trends. This top-down insight was crucial in aligning our product strategy with market demands and ensuring that our development efforts supported the company’s long-term objectives.
3. Implementing an Inclusive Idea Submission System
Creating a system where anyone in the organization can easily log an idea fosters a culture of inclusivity and innovation. However, without proper guidance, this can lead to an overwhelming number of irrelevant suggestions. I implemented a structured idea submission process at FullContact, where ideas had to align with one of four main pillars that supported our quarterly and yearly product vision. This approach ensured that contributions were relevant and actionable, streamlining the idea evaluation process and promoting meaningful innovation.
4. Structuring Quarterly Pillars for Focused Innovation
To avoid being swamped with unhelpful feature requests, it is essential to provide clear guidance on idea submissions. By defining four main pillars each quarter that build up to the annual product vision, we can focus the team’s creativity and insights on strategic priorities. This method, which I applied successfully at Kapost, ensured that all submitted ideas were aligned with our goals, making it easier to identify and act on high-impact suggestions that advanced our product development roadmap.
5. Encouraging Open Communication and Feedback Loops
Maintaining open channels of communication across all levels of the organization is crucial for capturing diverse insights and fostering a collaborative environment. At Stealth Startup, I established regular feedback loops where team members, including interns, could share their ideas and feedback. These sessions not only empowered everyone to contribute but also helped in identifying potential product improvements early. By promoting transparency and active listening, we were able to create a product that truly resonated with our customers.
TL;DR
By integrating these strategies, we can harness the collective knowledge and insights from various teams within the organization, leading to a more customer-centric product development process. This approach not only enhances the product but also strengthens team cohesion and aligns efforts towards common goals.