AMA: VGS Senior Director Product Marketing, Khyati Srivastava on Influencing the Product Roadmap

I would focus on research and revenue, which can be highly interrelated. Consider a situation where one or more large strategic customers have indicated a preference for a new product or feature or change to an existing one. Tying your customer insights to incremental or potential lost revenue will strengthen your case. I just launched a new product that delivers multiple products through a single API. The key insight? Delayed delivery due to multiple API integrations was causing a delay in reco ...Read More

As a Product Marketer, Product and Sales are my key partners. I ensure we continually strengthen our partnership with: Weekly check-ins Adding them in the feedback loop for key new marketing materials Getting their insights on key customer conversations Sharing and discussing key competitor moves and industry developments Doing this regularly makes roadmap conversations organic and ongoing, over becoming a formal cadence. This also ensures strong cross-functional relationships and offers more op ...Read More

If the Product team has typically worked in silos, is more established, or if there are other barriers like language or geography, establishing a relationship becomes more critical. This could take different forms, such as: Weekly check-ins Adding them in the feedback loop for key new marketing materials Getting their insights on key customer conversations Sharing and discussing key competitor moves and industry developments Meeting in person when possible Building a relationship up and down the ...Read More

This is a critical topic and can distinguish between your organization being comparative and innovative. However, there are a few important caveats for both: If customer feedback comes from a key customer, consider whether it is a common concern among multiple customers, a logical evolution of your current product, a fit with your target set, and could be a competitive moat. For an innovation opportunity, always assess if it fits your customers and company strategy today and where you would like ...Read More

Leveraging competitive intelligence deeply enhances your credibility in Product Roadmap conversations. However, competitors and the operating environment could also evolve and change. For example: Your key competitor could pivot to a different product focus area. Your company could move to a different segment, e.g. B2B vs B2C or Enterprise vs Mid-market. Your industry or regulatory body could shift and change to a new direction. New competitors could move into your space. While it is key to foll ...Read More

If the Product team is more established, or if there are other barriers like language or geography, or the culture hasn't historically included PM/PMM engagement, establishing a relationship becomes more critical. This could take different forms, such as: Weekly check-ins Adding them in the feedback loop for key new marketing materials Getting their insights on key customer conversations Sharing and discussing key competitor moves and industry developments Meeting in person when possible Providi ...Read More

Most significant product launches are time-bound. Key factors can vary from: The typical match with a product's Beta or GA launch Size and impact of the launch: priority, secondary, or tertiary Being part of a broader PR or company strategy, like an announcement at a large event or conference Providing an update at a Board meeting or top analyst briefing, or Even meeting a key customer's expectation. They have a timeline, key steps across channels, internal and external go-live, and success meas ...Read More

Enterprise organizations tend to be more distributed than startups, with much larger teams and more defined areas of responsibilities. It's critical to both understand scope and responsibility areas as well as consistently establish relationships. Example ways of achieving this include: Weekly check-ins Adding them in the feedback loop for key new marketing materials Getting their insights on key customer conversations Sharing and discussing key competitor moves and industry developments Meeting ...Read More