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CAPM Practice: Demonstrate an understanding of product roadmaps

Question 53 of 67 in Demonstrate an understanding of product roadmaps

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How should a product manager handle a situation where a major customer is threatening to churn unless a specific feature is delivered in the next month?

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Correct answer: Analyze the feature's strategic value, assess the real cost of churn, consider workarounds for the customer, and make a deliberate decision rather than allowing one customer to unilaterally drive the roadmap

Explanation

Customer escalations require analysis, not reflexive reaction. Is the feature strategically valuable for many customers or just one? What's the real cost of churn vs. the opportunity cost of derailing the roadmap? Good roadmap governance makes this decision deliberately and transparently.

**Why not A:** Always moving a single customer's feature to the top of the roadmap sets a dangerous precedent. It allows one customer to unilaterally drive product direction, potentially at the expense of strategic priorities that serve the broader customer base and long-term business goals.

**Why not B:** Refusing all customer-driven changes is equally extreme. Customer feedback is a valuable input to roadmap decisions. The issue is making deliberate, analyzed decisions rather than reflexive reactions — not ignoring customer needs entirely.

**Why not C:** Promising the feature without a clear delivery plan creates false expectations and damages trust when the promise cannot be kept. Making commitments under pressure without analyzing feasibility, strategic fit, and trade-offs often leads to worse outcomes than honest analysis.

Key Concept

This question covers Demonstrate an understanding of product roadmaps under Demonstrate an understanding of product roadmaps (Business Analysis Frameworks).

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