absolutely!

I have lost a couple of customers because of integratuion with banking not being available.

It reminded me a lot of what we went through at MSFT with Windows Vista. Microsoft has had its own well-known struggles with roadmap disclosure.

You inspired me to create my own blog post, http://roadmapintegrity.com/2011/03/19/if-you-disclose-your-roadmap-dont-do-it-the-microsoft-vista-way/.

That doesn’t mean you can’t share information about things that are in development, but the timescale for this has to be really constrained, to avoid disappointing folks if it turns out NewSuperAwesomeFeature is actually HorribleBuggyMess that you can’t release on time.

I choose pleasant surprise over Coming Soon any day.

And when you’re the client and the feature you were told “Would be available in a few weeks”, which influenced your purchasing decision, is actually coming out “next year” – the reaction isn’t always pretty 😉

I agree with 1-4 as well, but it’s the damage that can be done by disappointing a client when plans/directions change which is the worst in my eyes!

Don’t you consider this – straight from “The Benefits of KashFlow”- a vision?

“With our accounting software, you can save time, be better organised and have a better insight into your financial position by using KashFlow Online Accounting.

The software has been built with the small business in mind. We know that you want to spend your time on what you do, not struggling with complicated software trying to understand how it works.

That’s why our online accounting software gives you everything you need; from Invoicing to cashflow management to VAT reports and everything else you need at your fingertips to keep your business running smoothly and you focused on doing what you do best – running your business.”

I buy into that any day 😉

Plus, since rules and regulations keep changing – how can a “road map” ever be complete or up-to-date?

Perhaps I should have been a little clearer in defining “Roadmap” when I used the term – what I was trying to suggest is that for those new features that are already planned / in progress there is much benefit to be had by sharing with users. The issue then is not one of failing to come up with the goods, only potentially one of coming up with them late. This is palatable for both sides of the relationship in my view.

Of course, your longer-term plans and things that you are considering but not yet committed to should remain under wraps, since that is in everyone’s best interests.

The problem, as you’ve articulated well, is the tension between several important parameters one has to weigh when making business decisions – what’s best for customers, what’s wise from a competitive standpoint and what allows me flexibility to change plan and maximise revenue opportunities without breaking a commitment?

My experience is that pragmatism usually beats dogmatism. So I’d suggest that by all means take this stance by default and your customers will appreciate the clarity. But if there’s a missing feature that’s important to them, and you know you’re going to do it (sometime), it doesn’t hurt to give them hope and let them plan – as long as you set a realistic expectation on timescales.