R&D works on technologies that will be used and become popular in 2-3 years, while Sales gathers user feedback on state-of-the-art solutions. Only R&D can foresee how the technology will evolve in the next 2-3 years, which is why it must have the ability to build its roadmap independently.

It's extremely important to balance customer needs while continuing to feed the innovation pipeline. Striking a balance between the two requires a strong R&D/Sales relationship with clear constant communication to ensure resources are being utilized properly.

To have Sales, Marketing, R&D, and Engineering reading from the same playbook, so that both the customer's needs and the company's strategic objectives are met, product roadmaps are the key. The development and maintenance of product roadmaps must be cross-functional efforts. Sales and Marketing representing the voice of the customer and stoking the front-end process with market projections get things going. Such inputs are translated to product features and capabilities that Engineering must deliver on specified timelines. R&D is charged with work packages, outputs of which would close technological gaps that enable engineering's success.

- Escuchar al equipo de ventas para identificar necesidades y demandas de los clientes. - Anticipar tendencias futuras para alinear características del producto con la visión a largo plazo. - Sintetizar información de ambos lados para crear un conjunto de características balanceado. - Fomentar la colaboración entre ventas y desarrollo para asegurar que ambos equipos estén alineados. - Realizar sesiones de brainstorming conjuntas para generar ideas innovadoras que beneficien a ambas áreas.

Torn between sales and R&D, the art of feature alignment for new products is all about achieving a balance. You need to meet customer needs. Take first inputs from the insight of sales teams into what customers are asking to make sure that immediate demands are met. Consider the long-term vision, offset the short-term requests of the customers with the long-term goals and future trends of the product while keeping innovation at the helm. Synthesize and prioritize a feature set that meets current needs yet is cognizant of future shifts in the market. In other words, design a product that can be competitive but foster further innovation.

R&D should have a stronger relationship with product teams rather than with sales. Product teams conduct competitor analysis, track technological developments, and collaborate with sales to create the roadmap. R&D should focus on existing products or the company's business domain. Any steps taken outside of this scope could catch the company unprepared and make integration challenging

- Organizar reuniones regulares para fomentar la comunicación entre ventas y desarrollo. - Facilitar el intercambio de comentarios de clientes y tendencias del mercado. - Compartir actualizaciones sobre avances tecnológicos y estudios de factibilidad. - Establecer un ambiente colaborativo donde cada equipo sienta que su experiencia es valorada. - Utilizar herramientas de gestión de proyectos para mantener a todos informados y alineados.

It’s like coaching two players on the same team who speak different languages. Without dialogue, progress halts. Create forums where sales and R&D can share concerns and ideas openly. Regular cross-functional meetings foster trust, allowing both teams to see they’re working towards a common goal. These conversations help transform competition into collaboration. Ensuring everyone feels heard creates a cooperative environment that drives innovation and shared success.

Fomentar o diálogo entre as equipes de vendas e P&D é crucial para eliminar mal-entendidos e alinhá-los em torno de um objetivo comum. Crie reuniões regulares onde ambas as partes possam compartilhar suas perspectivas e preocupações. Um ambiente de comunicação aberta e transparente evita frustrações e mantém as equipes focadas em encontrar soluções colaborativas. Use essas reuniões para discutir como os novos recursos podem atender às necessidades do mercado sem comprometer a viabilidade técnica ou os prazos.

I agree with this sentiment in general, however in order to keep priorities, and remain forward thinking, it is important to not allow clients to dictate R&D workloads. When oo many priorities are set, and more are added continuously, it becomes inherently difficult to maintain forward momentum and keep a constant flow of ideas and innovations to fill the pipeline.

- Definir criterios claros para establecer prioridades entre las características del producto. - Evaluar la demanda de los clientes, viabilidad técnica e importancia estratégica. - Buscar un equilibrio entre soluciones rápidas y desarrollos a largo plazo. - Revisar y ajustar regularmente las prioridades según cambios en el mercado y tecnología. - Involucrar a ambos equipos en el proceso de priorización para asegurar alineación y compromiso.

Setting priorities is like drafting a game plan. Not every feature can be developed at once, so prioritize based on customer impact, market needs, and feasibility. This is about strategy, not just compromise. A shared roadmap provides clarity on what to build first and why. Focusing on high-impact goals keeps everyone aligned and turns potential conflicts into opportunities for collaboration. Prioritization ensures that resources are directed toward the most valuable outcomes.

Common priorities on customer needs are difficult to achieve for R&D and Sales. Why? Sales is incentivised by selling what's already there. Their bonus is tied to revenue/profit. Also, that's just how sales people are driven. The biggest pain is losing a customer because the competitor had a feature which they did not. So the expectation towards R&D is very clear. Do what the competition does. And quickly! R&D is incentivised differently. Even if revenue and benefit are definitely seen positive, they are more interested in going beyond. Beyond what everyone else is doing. Which will of course take time and not lead to an immediate sale. They will not agree. Only the CEO can guide on the balance of short term vs. long term priorities.

Before committing, validate the product features with real-world feedback. Treat this as an experiment. Use prototypes to gather early input from select customers. This approach helps ensure the prioritized features resonate with the market. Validation reduces the risk of missteps, giving sales confidence in their pitch while allowing R&D to refine the product. This step ensures you're building something both practical and market-ready.

Yes, we are experts. R&D people are experts. Sales people are experts. Yet, only the customer will open their wallet. Or won't. Which is actually more often the case. So what happend? All those experts and the customers don't buy the new product? The solution is, to get the customer to "buy" the product before detailed development, before production and before hitting the market. VALIDATION. "But we asked them and they liked the concept!?!" Fishing for compliments is not validation. Asking the wrong questions will lead to wrong answers. At best irrelevant answers. At worst we assume confirmation where the customer is rather forced to be kind and polite. Reading recommendation: "The Mom Test" on how to validate ideas by Rob Fitzpatrick.

This is an absolute must. You don't have to invest in costly consumer insight studies to do so. I have often times taken the time to create internal insights studies to determine product efficacy and performance. An organization must be fully invested in order to level up their business, and produce breakthrough technologies. This involves every member of the organization to contribute above and beyond their duties and be invested in contributing when called upon to do so. At the end of the day, it is not only Sales, PD, and R&D that should be involved in product and technology innovations, but input should be shared across all departments throughout development.

- Utilizar prototipos o pruebas beta para obtener retroalimentación del mercado. - Realizar grupos focales para evaluar la aceptación de las nuevas características. - Validar que las funciones propuestas realmente satisfacen las necesidades del cliente. - Documentar y compartir los resultados de la validación para alinear a ambos equipos. - Reducir el riesgo de errores costosos al asegurar que el producto esté bien recibido antes del lanzamiento.

Antes de investir tempo e recursos no desenvolvimento completo de um novo recurso, é importante validar os conceitos com os stakeholders, incluindo os próprios clientes. Testes rápidos, protótipos e feedback contínuo são formas de garantir que o que está sendo desenvolvido realmente atende às necessidades do mercado e está alinhado com as capacidades técnicas. Essa validação reduz os riscos e ajusta as expectativas de todas as partes envolvidas, economizando tempo e recursos.

A critical component often overlooked in agile development is the influence of cognitive biases like anchoring. Sales teams may latch onto early feedback, shaping iterations that are less innovative. A cross-functional team should continuously challenge initial assumptions, ensuring agility promotes real market adaptability, not just quicker feedback cycles.

Adotar a metodologia Agile é uma das melhores maneiras de manter tanto vendas quanto P&D alinhados durante o desenvolvimento de novos recursos. O Agile permite que os projetos sejam divididos em pequenas entregas iterativas, com feedback constante de ambas as equipes e dos clientes. Isso não apenas mantém a flexibilidade, mas também permite ajustes rápidos durante o processo, garantindo que os recursos se mantenham alinhados com as mudanças nas necessidades de mercado ou nas capacidades técnicas.

Agile will help bridge that gap when caught between sales and R&D. Break down product development into iterative sprints, collaborate regularly, and establish a regular cadence of communication between both teams: Sales feeds in real-world market feedback, and R&D adjusts the product features according to feasibility and customer needs. With the short and focused development cycle, you can ensure quick adjustments and alignment on a continuous basis. I have seen this strategy produce a far more agile workflow that infuriates fewer people on both sides, while allowing each party to be heard. Regular check-ins and effective communication ensure that everyone's eyes are on the prize: delivering features customers love and drive success.

Agile development uses short, iterative cycles known as sprints, typically lasting two to four weeks. In each sprint, the team focuses on delivering a small, valuable feature or improvement. At the end of the sprint, a review is held to evaluate progress and gather feedback from both the Sales team and customers. This constant review process ensures the product evolves based on actual customer input, while R&D remains adaptable to technical challenges. The key to prioritization in Agile is balancing customer needs with technical feasibility. Both Sales and R&D must contribute to the product backlog, which is a prioritized list of tasks.

I agree that developing KPI's to determine what is working and learning from them is a key element to success. I also believe that the KPI's are only as useful as the information being collected and must be measured objectively to ensure that the information being collected mirrors reality.

Success isn't only about revenue. It's about aligning product features with market needs. Measure success through customer adoption, satisfaction, and retention. Track short-term wins while focusing on long-term metrics to refine future releases. This ongoing measurement keeps both sales and R&D invested in the product’s lifecycle. By continuously tracking these metrics, you create a feedback loop that strengthens collaboration and drives sustained value.

Por fim, é essencial medir o sucesso dos novos recursos. Defina métricas específicas de sucesso que estejam relacionadas tanto à satisfação do cliente quanto ao desempenho técnico. Isso pode incluir taxas de adoção do produto, impacto nas vendas, eficiência operacional ou feedback positivo dos usuários. Monitorar esses indicadores continuamente permite fazer ajustes rápidos e garantir que os recursos estão cumprindo suas funções e agregando valor.