How do you influence the roadmap at an enterprise company where product managers have long tenure?

PMs with long tenure will have established perspectives on various things and deep domain knowledge. Influencing the roadmap here requires you to collaborate closely with the PMs, respect their experience, adapt to their working style, and focus on building trust with them. 

• Start with the basics: aligning on product goals, positioning yourself as a partner, and having an open conversation about how you can add value to any ongoing or new initiatives.

• Proactively ask to join and learn from planning and retro meetings, such as product backlog grooming, PI planning, and product QBRs. To show value, start bringing in your market knowledge and voice of the customers/sales/partners/customer success.

• As you make recommendations for the roadmap, tie them to business impact and use data to back up your hypotheses. Show alignment with the PM’s long-term vision where possible.

• Offer to run research surveys, workshops, or advisory boards to achieve shared product goals. This could also mean using your marketing budget to drive awareness and adoption of products.

Start with building the relationship, and put "business" on the backburner when you're first getting on board. Here are some tips on how I like to do that:

• Use Slack (but not just for work-related stuff): Send casual check in notes--what did you do this weekend? Happy birthday! What do you have planned for the holidays? etc. This helps build a more authentic and fun connection from the start.

• Understand their POVs: Ask them early and often what their goals, challenges, and priorities are (and WHY!). Acknowledge their experience and tenure, and use that as a foundation for mutual respect and open communication. For example:

  • "I really admire the depth of experience you bring to this roadmap. How do you see the market evolving in the next 6-12 months, and how do you think we can stay ahead of those changes?"

  • "You’ve been working on this product for a while, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on the long-term vision. What has been most successful so far, and where do you see opportunities for growth?"

• Leverage Data and Insights: Use customer feedback, market research, and industry trends to provide data-backed insights that demonstrate the potential impact of proposed changes. Show how your suggestions align with the company’s broader goals, such as improving customer satisfaction, increasing revenue, or enhancing operational efficiency.

• Align with Strategic Business Objectives: Frame your input in terms of how it can drive business outcomes. Demonstrate how proposed features or changes will help achieve company-wide objectives, such as scaling, reducing churn, or improving competitive positioning.

• Offer Solutions, Not Just Requests: SO SO IMPORTANT! Instead of simply asking for features, present well-thought-out solutions that address customer pain points or business challenges. This proactive approach can help product managers see the value in incorporating new ideas into the roadmap.

• Be Patient and Adaptable: Recognize that product managers with long tenure may have established processes and priorities. Respect their approach while demonstrating how your suggestions can complement or enhance their existing roadmap. Be prepared for gradual adoption rather than immediate changes. For example:

• Share Success Stories: Provide examples of how similar initiatives have succeeded in other parts of the business or in the industry. Success stories can help product managers see the potential benefits of your suggestions. This is especially awesome if the PR announcement for a product release gets picked up and/or reshared by a big publisher. Or a customer comments about how excited they are for this. Or someone asks a really good question in the product webinar.

Other ways to build rapport based on what you are looking to achieve with that product manager:

• Seeking Insight and Guidance:

  • "Given your tenure, you likely have a deep understanding of what resonates with our customers. I’d love your perspective on how we can fine-tune our upcoming feature to best meet their needs."

  • "I know you’ve seen many shifts in the market during your time here. How do you balance innovation with the established priorities, especially with such a long-term vision?"

• Framing Proposals as Enhancements:

  • "I know there’s already a solid plan in place, but I’d love to discuss how a small addition to the roadmap could enhance what we’re already doing. What do you think would be the best way to approach this?"

  • "I’ve noticed a gap in [feature], and I think it could complement our current direction. Would you be open to exploring how we might weave this in?"

• Inviting Feedback on New Ideas:

  • "Given your extensive knowledge, I’d really appreciate your feedback on this idea. How do you think it fits within the current roadmap, and are there any aspects that could be aligned differently?"

  • "I’ve been thinking about ways to address [specific customer pain point] and would love to get your thoughts on whether this idea could be a good fit or if you see a better way forward."

• Respecting Their Approach:

  • "I know we have a clear roadmap and direction, but as priorities shift, it would be great to understand how you decide which areas need to evolve. What’s your process for reassessing priorities over time?"

  • "Given your long-term perspective, I’m curious how you’ve seen product development and customer needs evolve here. How do we ensure we’re not missing opportunities for the future?"

• Acknowledging Success and Building on It:

  • "The product has come a long way under your leadership. Are there any lessons you’ve learned along the way that could help inform the next steps as we continue to innovate?"

  • "It’s impressive how the team has managed to stick to a vision while adapting to changes. As we continue to grow, what areas do you think we should continue focusing on for the next big breakthrough?"

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

• Providing training on PM vs PMM scope and responsibilities

Building a relationship across the Product org, engaging your leadership to ensure cross-functional goal alignment, and tying customer feedback to revenue potential when possible are all key to deepening engagement and increasing receptivity to your ideas.