Why Your Roadmap is Lying to You - And What to Do About It
- gandhinath0
- Apr 11
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 15
That beautiful roadmap you crafted? If you're like most SaaS founders I know, you're living a familiar cycle: big plans, half-shipped features, and a growing pile of "we'll get to it next quarter."
Start With What Actually Ships
For years, I watched great roadmaps dissolve into mediocre execution. Then someone asked me a simple question: "What percentage of your roadmap actually ships?"
I didn't know how to respond. And that was the problem.
So we started tracking it: planned ten features for this quarter, shipped six, that's 60%. Dead simple. But this basic number reveals everything: your execution strength, planning accuracy, and whether your strategy is reaching users or rotting in Jira.
The Power of Committed Flexibility
Here's what most teams get wrong: they treat their roadmap like it's either set in stone or just a rough guess. Both miss the point.
A good roadmap is a commitment to outcomes, not a prison of feature promises. When user needs shift or market conditions change, you adapt. But you're still committing to solving the core problems you set out to fix.
Think of it like a cross-country road trip. Your destination is fixed, but your exact route might change based on weather, road conditions, or better paths you discover. You're still getting there – you're just smart about how.
Success vs. Stagnation: A Tale of Two Approaches
Company A confuses flexibility with flakiness. They change direction with every customer call. They ship stuff, sure. But it's scattered. Random. Users log in, look around, and leave – because nothing really solves their problems.
Company B commits to outcomes. They watch user behavior like hawks. When they need to pivot, they don't just react – they reassess and realign. Their releases might shift in scope or approach, but each one moves users closer to success.
5 Habits of Startups That Deliver (Without Burning Out)
Fix Real Problems: Not the "wouldn't it be cool if" stuff. Find out where users get stuck and rage-quit. That's your gold mine.
The 70/30 Split: Put most of your chips on sure things. Save some room to try some new ideas (strategic bets) that might just work.
Make Every Ship Count: If it doesn't make your product more valuable, more viral, or more sticky - why are we building it?
Watch What Matters: Ship dates are nice. Usage numbers are better. Show me customers actually doing their job better because of what you built.
Get Everyone Looking at the Same Map: Product, Engineering, Support, Marketing, Sales, you name it - they all need to know where we're headed and why we might take a detour.
Focus on What Matters When You're Growing Fast
More teams mean more moving parts. Execution at scale means better alignment, not more process.
Map dependencies before the quarter starts
Tag initiatives as core (must deliver) or adaptable
Keep visibility high with shared dashboards
Focus on outcomes, not output
Impact From This Metric?
Everyone wins when the roadmap becomes a value-delivery system!
Role | What They Get from It |
Founders | Proof your team can execute - not just plan. Proof that strategy is turning into outcomes. |
Product Teams | Clarity on what’s working. Visibility, focus, and permission to say “not now.” |
Investors | Confidence in your ability to turn capital into progress (capital-to-outcome efficiency) |
GTM Teams | Forecasting and readiness aligned with actual delivery. |
What Good Looks Like at Every Growth Stage:
Growth Stage | B2C Target(%/Quarter) | B2B2C Target(%/Quarter) |
Validation Seekers($1M-$2M ARR) | ~ 60% | ~ 50% |
Traction Builders($2M-$4M ARR) | ~ 70% | ~ 60% |
Scale Preparers($4M-$7M ARR) | ~ 85% | ~ 75% |
Growth Accelerators($7M-$10M ARR) | ~ 90% | ~ 80% |
B2C teams often move faster. B2B2C deals with longer partner cycles. The trend matters more than the number.
What Changes When You Get This Right
Once you nail this balance:
Teams stop shipping just to ship
Users notice real improvements, not just new buttons
Features actually drive growth
People trust what you say because you deliver what matters
Learning from the Best: The Stripe Example
Look at how Stripe does it. Their roadmap isn't a wish list; it's a growth engine. They commit to clear outcomes while staying flexible on implementation. Their teams know exactly how their work drives user success, even when plans need to shift.
Key Takeaways:
Your roadmap isn't just a planning doc. It's a promise to solve specific problems for your market.
When you commit to outcomes while staying smart about the path to get there, you stop building features and start building momentum. That's how good products become great businesses.
Need Help Making This Metric Work?
You don’t need another tool. You need better habits, better bets, and a system your team believes in. If you’re building a SaaS product and want your roadmap to be more than a slide - let’s talk.
Use our free diagnostic tool to gain insights and identify areas for improvement.
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