Ever been in one of those quarterly roadmap meetings where every product update sounds like a list of bullet points with dates?
“We’re launching Feature X in Q2.”
“We’re integrating API Y by end-of-year.”
“We’re improving speed and security in Q3.”
Yawn.
Now imagine Apple announcing a product like that. No “This changes everything.” No emotional connection. Just, “We’re upgrading the camera by 12%.”
The problem? Your product roadmap isn’t a list of features—it’s a journey. And if you want executives, engineers, and customers to care, you need to tell its innovation story.
Relatable Problem: You’re pitching your roadmap, but leadership just doesn’t seem excited.
Pro Tip: Use the Epic Quest Roadmap Framework:
- Define the Quest: What big challenge is your product solving over the next 12 months? (Not “new features,” but the problem they exist to solve.)
- Introduce the Obstacles: What’s standing in the way? Why is this problem so hard? A good story needs stakes.
- Reveal the Milestones: Each product update isn’t just a date—it’s a battle won in the larger war. Make them feel the progress, not just “stuff we’re doing.”
- Show the Future: What happens when this roadmap succeeds? Paint a picture of how customers’ lives will improve, and the company’s as well. Don’t forget things like improved standing against competitors, new insights developed along the way, and the opportunities that this next milestone will unlock.
Example: Instead of saying, “We’re improving cybersecurity compliance in Q3,” tell the story:
“Right now, compliance teams are buried in paperwork and manual checks. But by Q3, that entire process will be automated—meaning fewer errors, faster approvals, and less stress on your teams. Plus, we’ll reduce customer service calls and false positives dramatically. Life is about to get better.”Only if you make them see the journey will they want to go on it with you.
