From the request to the underlying need
A request suggests a solution. Research identifies the outcome customers need and the context in which it matters.
Product Roadmap Prioritization
The most expensive feature in your product might be one that very few customers actually need.
Which feature will keep consuming maintenance capacity and adding complexity after release?
A feature with limited relevance may consume capacity long after launch. We help examine the decision, considering not just delivery but also maintenance, complexity and the cost of delaying other priorities.
For CPOs, Product Managers, CTOs and SaaS companies.
Every deliverable creates an ongoing commitment.Vale a pena sustentá-lo por anos?
How these teams made their decisions
- 500+Companies served by George Eich
- 650+Startups mentored through Startup SC
- 60+Startups supported through Cubo Itaú
Companies served by George Eich
- Techne
- Climoo
- PSA
- Ambev
- Evous
- Locates
Institutions and startup programs
- Sebrae
- ACATE
- MIDITEC
- Cubo Itaú
- Startup SC
Locates
While switching platforms, the team used customer needs to decide which features to include and which to defer.
EVOUS
The team used customer evidence to decide when to strengthen its core product and when to expand its offering.
“We gained a more strategic view of the product and were able to prioritize the roadmap and the company’s positioning.”Feedback shared with the Institute · English translation
George Eich InstituteDirection for the choice. Evidence for the decision.
500+companies advised by George Eich
10+ yearsof experience in strategy and execution
3 to 6 weeksreference for research and executive analysis, depending on scope
The cost that does not appear in the sprint
O custo termina na entrega ou continua depois dela?
Customer requests, sales and internal teams compete for roadmap capacity. A feature may look small during development but keep requiring support, infrastructure, testing and maintenance with every release.
Sales
“It's just one feature to close the deal.”
Product
“How many customers really need this?”
Technology
“We will have to maintain it in future releases, too.”
Leadership
“Does the return justify the ongoing commitment?”
As these obligations accumulate, the team spends more time supporting past decisions while postponing improvements that could benefit more customers.
Da decisão à geração e captura de valor
What moves into the next cycle, what waits and what should stop consuming capacity?
A need may exist without justifying strategic priority. Research tests relevance, while leadership also considers capacity, feasibility and economic returns.
01 / Situação de compra
What is at stake
The team absorbs more commitments than it can sustain without displacing important work.
02 / Strategic Prioritization Study
What to investigate
Competing initiatives keep changing the sequence and expectations around delivery.
03 / Need-Based Value Matrix
How to apply
Urgent requests enter the plan without a sufficiently clear connection to relevant product value.
The Value Matrix guides decisions across three horizons: strengthen Core Business, expand through Expansion and create through Innovation. The Study supplies evidence, while value creation, capture and ROI also depend on economic conditions and execution.
Read more15,43%was the median reach per need among customers in the researched bases.
Uma necessidade real pode ter alcance restrito.
In The Need Gap 2026, median reach was 16.67%. Before turning a request into a feature, it is worth understanding its reach within the customer base supporting the product.
The study analyzed 1,423 needs across 59 companies. These figures describe need reach; the study did not measure feature costs.
Fonte: The Need Gap 2026, estudo de George Eich.
I want to review prioritiesO efeito das escolhas
Your roadmap also defines what the company must continue to support.
Accumulating features for small groups can increase complexity without creating a proportional increase in product value.
Ongoing maintenance
Every new release must coexist with everything delivered before it.
Margem pressionada
Support and infrastructure can consume part of the expected returns.
Slower product evolution
Development capacity is divided between new work and maintaining what exists.
How the Institute helps
Choose what deserves development. E o que vale manter.
An executive interpretation that connects evidence to the decision your leadership needs to make. The deliverables reflect the agreed business context and scope.
Relevance and ICAN
Quantitative selection reveals who shares the priority; ICAN measures perceived need fulfillment.
Capacidade e valor
An updateable evidence base guides the roadmap. Feasibility, complexity and opportunities for value capture complete the choice.
I want to review priorities
Tell us what your company needs to decide.
Um roadmap que protege capacidade e margem.
Executive guidance on what moves forward, what waits and which existing commitments need reconsideration.
Priorities with rationale
Which opportunities deserve the next cycle and which require more evidence.
Criteria for new requests
Shared evidence for discussing relevance, reach and returns across teams.
Compromissos a revisar
Recommendations for evaluating choices that consume capacity with limited shared benefits.
As entregas específicas são definidas conforme a decisão e o escopo contratado.
When to apply
Before committing o próximo ciclo.
Before promising a feature
When a contract or request pressures the next release.
When maintenance becomes a burden
When support and recurring adjustments compete with product evolution.
When the product becomes complex
When the feature list grows and the value proposition loses clarity.
Before assigning more people
When you need to assess whether building more is the right decision.
About your roadmap prioritization.
How does roadmap prioritization work?
The engagement identifies relevant customer needs and connects them with product decisions. We assess reach, expected benefits, delivery capacity and economic potential to guide what advances, waits or requires reconsideration.
How do you account for costs after delivery?
Beyond development, consider support, infrastructure, testing, maintenance and the time the team cannot devote to other improvements. Prioritization brings these consequences into view before taking on new commitments.
Does this engagement replace technical planning?
Priority guidance is built around business context. Estimates, dependencies and schedules are reviewed with the responsible team to turn direction into a feasible plan.
What does the company receive?
Executive analysis of priorities, the reasoning behind choices and recommendations for the development agenda. Specific deliverables depend on the decision and agreed scope.
Quanto tempo leva?
The typical reference is three to six weeks for structured research and executive analysis, depending on scope, information access and participant availability.
O que acontece na primeira conversa?
You describe the product, decision and competing deliverables. The conversation helps us understand the context and define how the Institute can contribute and what scope makes sense.
Which feature will occupy your team durante os próximos anos?
Bring the competing deliverables. We will discuss roadmap priorities in light of relevance, sustainability and returns.
I want to review prioritiesRequest a conversation with the George Eich Institute.
NEXT DECISION
Prioritize roadmap and product
Briefly describe the decision, investment or challenge you need to assess. We will follow up to understand your needs and agree on an appropriate scope.
