# Feature request stage emails for submitters and followers

> Send automatic updates when a request gets comments or changes stage so the people who cared do not have to keep checking the board.

- Canonical HTML: https://growth.iangoh.com/growth-ideas/feature-request-stage-emails-for-submitters-and-followers/
- 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: common
- Budget: free
- Channels: Lifecycle, Email, Product Roadmap
- Stages: retention, feedback, community-led growth, product-led growth


## Why this can grow

A feedback board feels participatory only if the company keeps talking after the request is filed. Buffer says people get email updates when someone comments or when a suggestion moves between stages. That keeps the loop alive without a manual success pass, and it turns roadmap movement into a retention surface because the product keeps reminding users that their request still has a pulse.

## 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. Email still works when it reads like one person noticed one real thing. If the message could be sent to anyone, it usually works on nobody. I would make the first line specific enough that the right reader knows it was meant for them. 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 feature request stage emails for submitters and followers can create a measurable lift.
2. Turn the tactic into one offer, page, campaign, or workflow for the Lifecycle and Email 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 notifies requesters and subscribers when a suggestion receives a comment or moves from Planned to In Progress or Complete.

## Adjacent tactics in the same lane

- [All feature requests visible before roadmap prioritization](/growth-ideas/all-feature-requests-visible-before-roadmap-prioritization/) - 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, 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, 2 shared stages
- [New feature requests default to public In Review](/growth-ideas/new-feature-requests-default-to-public-in-review/) - 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.