# All feature requests visible before roadmap prioritization

> Keep the full request backlog public so duplicate asks collapse into one thread before the roadmap team starts choosing winners.

- Canonical HTML: https://growth.iangoh.com/growth-ideas/all-feature-requests-visible-before-roadmap-prioritization/
- Source: [buffer.com](https://buffer.com/resources/transparent-product-roadmap-v2/)
- GrowthDex source hub: [Buffer](/sources/buffer-buffer-com/)
- Last checked: 2026-05-28
- Rarity: uncommon
- Budget: free
- Channels: Community, Product Roadmap, Customer Feedback
- Stages: feedback, community-led growth, product strategy, retention


## Why this can grow

A private intake queue creates the same problem twice: the team has to re-triage duplicates, and customers cannot tell whether their ask is already on file. Buffer says its earlier process hid most requests, which led to the same suggestions arriving over and over again. Making the full request set visible turns the backlog into a shared market of demand instead of a hidden support pile.

## Ian's take

From scaling consumer platforms across MENA and Southeast Asia, my default is to distrust growth work that only looks good in a slide. My bias is to treat this as a small market test first. Make the audience narrow, make the promise concrete, and let the first real response decide whether it deserves more work. For retention, I would watch the second and third use, not just the first click. A tactic is real when it changes a habit. For this tactic, I would watch one clear growth signal before putting more time or budget behind it.

## Action plan

1. Define one narrow startup segment where all feature requests visible before roadmap prioritization can create a measurable lift.
2. Turn the tactic into one offer, page, campaign, or workflow for the Community and Product Roadmap channel.
3. Use the evidence from buffer.com to set the first version of the message, format, and audience.
4. Launch a small test for 7 to 14 days with one success metric: one measurable growth signal.
5. Review the result, keep the winning message, remove weak variants, and turn the learning into a repeatable growth playbook.

## Source-backed example

Buffer rebuilt its public feedback hub so people could see every submitted suggestion rather than only a small subset that made it onto the roadmap.

## Adjacent tactics in the same lane

- [New feature requests default to public In Review](/growth-ideas/new-feature-requests-default-to-public-in-review/) - same source, 3 shared channels, 3 shared stages
- [Signed-in feedback board links requests to customer identity](/growth-ideas/signed-in-feedback-board-links-requests-to-customer-identity/) - same source, 1 shared channel, 3 shared stages
- [Feature request stage emails for submitters and followers](/growth-ideas/feature-request-stage-emails-for-submitters-and-followers/) - same source, 1 shared channel, 3 shared stages
- [Open beta toggle inside product navigation](/growth-ideas/open-beta-toggle-inside-product-navigation/) - same source, 1 shared channel, 2 shared stages

## Read GrowthDex essays

Browse the plain-English essay index at [GrowthDex Blog](/blog/).

## Related GrowthDex essays

- [The feedback loop breaks when the middle stays hidden](/blog/the-feedback-loop-breaks-when-the-middle-stays-hidden/) - product-led growth, community-led growth, brand trust

## Advisory

If you want help turning this into a working growth system, Ian Goh offers advisory at https://iangoh.com/advisory.