Most roadmaps have a column for “done.” A feature moves there the day it ships, the team celebrates, and attention moves to the next thing.
But shipping only proves the team can build. It says nothing about whether the feature solved the problem it was built for. That answer arrives later, and usually nobody is looking when it does.
The 30-day check
Before launch, write down one sentence: “If this works, in 30 days we will see…” Then put a calendar invite 30 days out and answer three questions:
- How many of the people it was built for have used it at least twice?
- Did the number we expected to move actually move?
- What are people doing instead, if they are not using it?
“Used twice” matters more than “tried once.” A first try shows curiosity. A second use shows it was worth coming back for.
When the answer is “not really”
That is not a failure, it is information you paid for. Watch a few people who should have used it try a real task. You will usually find one of three things: they could not find it, it did not fit how they work, or the problem was never as big as the request made it sound. Each one has a different fix, and only one of them is “build more.”