Connecting user value with business goals

A roadmap that only reflects business objectives risks ignoring what users need. At the same time, a roadmap focused only on user requests can miss the larger picture of growth and sustainability. Effective roadmaps connect both perspectives, showing how solving customer problems contributes to business results. For example, reducing onboarding friction improves user satisfaction while also increasing activation rates, a metric tied to revenue.

This connection requires gathering insights from multiple sources. Customer feedback highlights pain points, while strategy defines the business outcomes that matter most, such as retention, expansion, or profitability. Roadmap initiatives should explicitly show this link, explaining how addressing a user challenge also drives a measurable business result. Making these connections visible builds stronger alignment with stakeholders and helps justify investment choices. It turns the roadmap into a narrative of shared value, rather than a document of competing priorities.