Case Study: Strategy-Led Product Roadmaps | Fractional CPO
Case Study #3

From Ad Hoc Features to Strategy-Led Roadmaps

How a $30M ARR MarTech SaaS aligned execution with strategy to drive retention and R&D efficiency.

Client Profile
$30M ARR SaaS
Primary Result
+45 pts Strategic Align.
Services Provided
• Product Strategy Codification
• Outcome-Based Roadmapping
• DORA Metrics Implementation

The Challenge

When I joined this Global Media and MarTech company, their success had created a hidden challenge: growth was slowing because product work had become reactive.

Feature decisions were largely driven by stakeholder opinions rather than strategic alignment. The result was a bloated backlog, competing priorities, and limited visibility into how shipped work actually impacted revenue.

The Pain Point:

A strong, profitable team lacked a clear connection between strategy and execution, leading to “output over outcomes.”

The Solution

My goal was to help the team transition from feature-led delivery to strategy-led outcomes. We implemented a structured transformation connecting company goals directly to product decisions.

Codified Strategy

Defined the business strategy clearly, then derived a measurable product strategy directly from it.

Outcome-Based Roadmaps

Built quarterly roadmaps focused on outcomes (not just features) with strict capacity guardrails.

Evidence Gates

Introduced “gates” for initiatives: every project had to link to KPIs like NRR, ARPU, or activation.

DORA & Analytics

Instrumented feature-level analytics and DORA metrics (deployment frequency, lead time) to track health.

Outcomes

The Impact

By anchoring product work to strategy and data, the company saw measurable improvements across performance, delivery, and revenue.

Strategy-Aligned Work
35%
90%
+45 pts Improvement
Net Revenue Retention (NRR)
102%
112%
+10 pts Improvement
Deployment Frequency
2x
+100% Increase
Feature Waste
-30%
Reduction in Low-Use Features
Effective R&D Capacity
+20%
Efficiency Gain
Expansion Revenue
+15%
Growth

“Roadmap discussions now start with strategy and numbers, not opinions.”

Client Insight

Key Takeaways from this Case Study

01

A Fractional CPO can drive strategic clarity without restructuring teams or slowing down current delivery.

02

Outcome-based roadmaps keep everyone aligned on impact (KPIs), not just output (features).

03

Feature analytics & DORA metrics connect strategy, execution, and results in a single feedback loop.

04

Aligning roadmap discussions around data transforms company culture, not just the process.

Want to align your product roadmap with business strategy?

Hire a Fractional CPO to turn feature delivery into measurable growth.