Roadmaps are supposed to be useful tools. They should give everyone a sense of where we’re headed and why. But somewhere along the line, the roadmap in software development became little more than a checklist for shipping features. It's like we got stuck in this cycle of deciding on a long list of “what to build” instead of asking, “Who are we building for, and how will this actually help them?”

If we step back and think a little harder about who’s using our product, a different approach to roadmapping starts to emerge. Instead of obsessing over which features go in, we ask how our product helps the actual people who rely on it to do their jobs well. I’m not talking about abstract personas here. I mean actual people with specific job titles, real responsibilities, and real pressures to deliver. This isn’t about inventing new archetypes—it’s as simple as looking up their roles on a job board. When we build a roadmap this way, we stop making “cool” stuff and start making useful stuff—the kind that becomes essential because it supports what our users are actually held accountable for.

So here’s a different take on roadmapping: don’t start with what the product could do, start with what your users are trying to do. Here’s a guide for taking a practical approach that brings clarity and meaning to the roadmap.

Understand your users as professionals, not personas

Let’s start with something simple: if you’re building for B2B, your users aren’t generic buckets of behaviors and preferences. They’re professionals with titles and roles and performance reviews. They’re project managers, sales directors, data analysts, customer success leads. Each of them has specific things they’re trying to accomplish every day, and each is measured on whether they succeed or fail.

Consider a project manager at a large tech company. This person’s job isn’t to “use project management software.” Their job is to keep things on track, get projects delivered on time, and manage a team without driving them nuts. Or take a data analyst at a startup. Their role isn’t “to pull reports,” it’s to provide insights quickly so that the company can make better decisions, faster. When you know what they’re responsible for, you start to see why they’re using your product in the first place—and what they truly need from it to succeed.

Get to know these details. Job titles, company size, industry—these things shape what users need from your product. They aren’t just using software; they’re trying to get a promotion, keep a team afloat, make smarter decisions, or deliver work their boss actually cares about. Start by understanding who your users really are and how they’re evaluated, and you’ll start seeing how your product could actually make a difference.

Focus on outcomes, not features

Now that you understand the jobs your users are doing, the roadmap can shift from a list of features to a set of outcomes. A lot of times, we get fixated on building a new dashboard or adding a widget here or there. But if you think about it, your users don’t care about widgets. They care about whether they can get their job done.

For example, imagine your product serves sales managers. A roadmap focused on outcomes wouldn’t just say, “add a CRM integration” or “improve pipeline reporting.” Instead, the roadmap would focus on helping sales managers achieve goals that are meaningful to them—like increasing forecast accuracy or reducing the time it takes to prepare quarterly reports. If that means adding an integration, great. If it means simplifying the reporting interface, that works too. The specifics aren’t as important as the outcome.

An outcome-driven roadmap might look something like this:

• Cycle Goal: Help project managers reduce missed deadlines.

• Possible solutions: Improved timeline tools, better resource allocation features, real-time milestone tracking, or a new service offering.

When the team is focused on an outcome instead of a feature list, they’re free to pursue any solution that actually addresses the problem. This keeps everyone focused on making things that truly matter to the user.

Redefine success in terms of the user’s world, not yours

When we measure success based on our own product metrics—clicks, daily active users, etc.—we’re missing the bigger picture. Those numbers tell us about engagement with our software, but they don’t necessarily tell us about the impact we’re having on our users’ work lives.

Let’s say you’re building for data analysts. Instead of counting how many users click on the “run report” button, measure something that matters in the context of their job. Did they save time on data analysis? Did their insights get used in decision-making more frequently? Are they reporting higher confidence in their analysis because of the tools you built? These metrics are directly tied to the impact you’re having on users’ jobs.

By aligning success metrics with the things that make your users look good at work, you’re creating a product that becomes indispensable. Your users know you’re there to help them succeed, and that makes them keep coming back.

Frame discovery as career-focused conversations

When you start thinking in terms of outcomes and career goals, the way you talk to users changes too. Instead of asking, “What do you want this software to do?” ask questions that dig into their day-to-day challenges and longer-term aspirations.

Some examples:

• “What would make you more effective in your role as a sales director?”

• “What’s slowing you down in managing your team’s projects?”

• “What do you need to be able to show your boss to feel successful?”

These are career-focused questions. They uncover the kinds of insights that don’t always show up in user surveys. And they tell you a lot about where the real needs are. This approach turns discovery into a meaningful conversation that respects the user’s expertise and context.

Build a roadmap that’s adaptable but anchored

Once you know the outcomes that matter, it’s time to build a roadmap that’s flexible but focused. Instead of packing in a year’s worth of planned features, organize the roadmap around time-bound cycles. Each cycle should have a specific outcome in mind and leave room for flexibility in how to achieve it.

For example, if your roadmap’s focus this quarter is on “helping data analysts reduce time spent on manual data prep,” you’re setting a clear direction without prescribing exactly how to get there. Your team can try different ideas, get feedback, and adapt along the way, knowing that the goal is to save the user time. Each cycle wraps up with a tangible outcome and lessons that feed into the next one. This approach keeps the roadmap alive and grounded in real results.

Communicate your roadmap as a shared mission

When your roadmap is focused on user outcomes and real job contexts, it’s easier to communicate a shared mission with users and stakeholders. You’re not just showing them features and deadlines; you’re sharing a vision for how the product is going to help them succeed in what they care about.

Instead of saying, “We’re releasing a new reporting tool in Q3,” say, “This year, we’re focused on making it easier for you to forecast accurately, track projects reliably, and stay on top of what matters most.” Now you’re building trust. Users see your roadmap as a commitment to helping them win at their jobs, not just a series of updates. This creates a partnership where they don’t just use your product—they rely on it.

Conclusion: a roadmap for relevance

When you rethink the roadmap as a tool to help users thrive in their roles, you stop building for “user engagement” and start building for impact. You’re no longer in the business of adding features for features’ sake. You’re in the business of helping real people with real jobs make real progress in their careers. Every cycle, every metric, every discovery conversation becomes an opportunity to do work that matters.

This isn’t just about improving your product—it’s about shifting your mindset. You’re not just creating something users will use. You’re creating something they’ll value because it helps them become better, more effective professionals. It’s a roadmap with purpose, one that makes your product not just relevant, but essential.