Devesh (Dev) Verma

A roadmap isn’t just a list of features—it’s a narrative that aligns teams, clarifies priorities, and drives execution. Here’s how I approach it: 🔹 Start with the WHY → Set the stage with market conditions, business objectives, and customer needs. Why does this matter? How does it move the business forward? 📌 Big Picture & Vision → Before diving into details, paint a clear picture of where we’re going. This helps teams connect daily work to the broader strategy. 🛠 Break it Down into Milestones → Translate the vision into key deliverables and timelines. Highlight dependencies so teams understand sequencing and impact. 💡 Customize the Ask → Each team needs different details. Product wants problem statements, Engineering needs feasibility discussions, Sales looks for customer impact. Be clear about what support is needed from each. ⚠️ Identify Risks & Mitigation Strategies → No roadmap is perfect. Call out potential blockers and how we’ll address them to keep execution smooth. 🔄 Next Steps & Check-Ins → Roadmaps evolve. Regular syncs and transparency ensure alignment, surface challenges early, and keep momentum high.

When sales leadership wants to dictate roadmap priorities, influence—not authority—is the key. At eBay and Amex, I navigated sales-heavy environments by building trust and aligning product strategy with revenue goals. Here’s how I made it work: 🔹 Start by Listening → Instead of pushing back, I spent time understanding sales targets, customer pain points, and leadership priorities. This helped shift the conversation from “my roadmap vs. theirs” to a shared business objective. 🔹 Validate Alignment → I reviewed my roadmap through a sales lens, ensuring that core initiatives supported revenue growth, reduced churn, or improved competitive positioning. If gaps existed, I adjusted—not because sales dictated it, but because it made business sense. 🔹 Communicate the Why → Sales leaders respond to impact. I framed the roadmap in terms of accelerating deal closures, increasing ACV, and reducing friction in the sales cycle. By positioning product strategy as an enabler of sales success, I earned more autonomy. 🔹 Be a Partner, Not an Obstacle → I didn’t just defend the roadmap—I engaged with sales leadership directly. This meant joining CXO prospect meetings, helping craft stronger product narratives, and ensuring the right features were highlighted to win deals. By proving that product and sales success go hand in hand, I built credibility, earned influence, and retained autonomy over the roadmap.