How many advisors should a CAB have?

Eight to twelve is the practical range. Fewer than six produces too narrow a signal. More than fifteen makes sessions hard to facilitate and dilutes individual engagement. Aim for a mix of company sizes, industries, and usage maturity.

What if one advisor dominates the feedback?

Weight by breadth, not volume. If one advisor submits ten requests but no other advisor echoes them, those items score lower on the vote count. The matrix makes this visible. Stakeholders can see whether a theme has broad support or a single champion.

Should I share the full roadmap with CAB members?

Share the themed roadmap and follow-up tracker. Hold back internal effort estimates and any initiatives tied to competitive positioning. Advisors want to know their feedback matters. They do not need to see your capacity model.

How often should I update the CAB roadmap?

Match your CAB cadence. If you meet quarterly, update the roadmap quarterly. Between meetings, send brief status updates on the top-voted initiatives so advisors are not waiting three months for a progress check. ---

Customer Advisory Board Roadmap Template

Quick Answer (TL;DR)

This free PowerPoint template helps you turn customer advisory board (CAB) sessions into a structured product roadmap. It maps raw feedback to themed initiatives, tracks advisory vote counts, and shows delivery timelines so board members see exactly how their input shapes the product. Download the .pptx, populate it after your next CAB meeting, and present a roadmap that closes the feedback loop.

What This Template Includes

Cover slide. Product name, CAB meeting date, and the number of advisors contributing to this cycle's roadmap.
Instructions slide. How to categorize feedback, assign themes, and map votes to priority. Remove before presenting.
Feedback-to-theme mapping slide. A matrix connecting raw customer requests to product themes, with vote counts and frequency badges.
Themed roadmap slide. Three horizontal swim lanes (one per theme) with initiative cards showing advisory support level, effort, and target quarter.
Filled example slide. A B2B SaaS roadmap with themes like "Reporting Gaps," "Workflow Automation," and "Admin Controls," each populated with real feedback references.

Why CAB Feedback Needs Its Own Roadmap Format

Most teams collect advisory board feedback in a spreadsheet, promise to follow up, and never close the loop. The gap between "we heard you" and "here is what we are doing about it" erodes trust with your most engaged customers.

A dedicated CAB roadmap solves three problems. First, it forces you to categorize scattered feedback into actionable themes rather than treating each request as an isolated ticket. Second, it shows advisors how their specific input influenced priority decisions. Which builds long-term engagement. Third, it gives product leadership a clear view of which customer pain points have the broadest support across the advisory group.

For a deeper look at turning customer conversations into product decisions, see the guide to customer interviews for product feedback.

Template Structure

Feedback-to-Theme Matrix

The first working slide maps individual CAB feedback items to product themes. Each row contains:

Feedback item. A paraphrased customer request with the advisor's name or company.
Theme. The product area this feedback maps to (e.g., "Reporting," "Integrations," "Onboarding").
Vote count. How many advisors raised a similar concern. Higher counts signal broader pain.
Urgency badge. Critical / High / Normal based on the advisor's framing and business impact.

Themed Roadmap Lanes

The main roadmap slide uses three horizontal lanes, one per theme. Each lane contains initiative cards with:

Initiative name. A short label describing the planned response to the feedback cluster.
Advisory support. The number of advisors whose feedback maps to this initiative. Stakeholders see the demand signal at a glance.
Effort estimate. T-shirt size (S/M/L) so leadership can assess feasibility.
Target quarter. When the team expects to deliver. Avoids vague "later" promises.

Follow-Up Tracker

A bottom section lists committed follow-up actions: which advisors to update, what data to share back, and the next CAB meeting date. This keeps the voice of customer loop tight.

How to Use This Template

1. Collect and clean feedback

After your CAB session, consolidate notes from all advisors. Remove duplicates and paraphrase each item into a single sentence. Aim for 10-20 distinct feedback items per session.

2. Group into themes

Cluster similar feedback items into 3-5 themes. Use affinity diagramming if the volume is high. Three themes is the sweet spot for a presentation roadmap. More than five overwhelms the audience.

3. Prioritize initiatives within each theme

For each theme, define 2-4 initiatives that address the clustered feedback. Rank them using advisory vote count and business impact. A framework like weighted scoring helps when advisory support and effort conflict.

Assign each initiative to a quarter. Send the completed roadmap to CAB members within two weeks of the meeting. Speed matters. Advisors who see fast follow-through stay engaged for future sessions.

When to Use This Template

After quarterly CAB meetings to convert raw discussion into a structured plan
Board or leadership reviews where you need to demonstrate customer-driven planning
Renewal conversations where showing responsiveness to feedback strengthens retention
Cross-functional planning where product, CS, and sales need to align on customer priorities
Annual planning when CAB themes should inform the product strategy

If you need a broader customer lifecycle view rather than CAB-specific feedback, try the customer experience roadmap template.

Key Takeaways

A CAB roadmap closes the feedback loop by mapping advisory input to themed initiatives with clear timelines.
Vote counts and urgency badges make prioritization transparent to advisors and leadership.
Share the roadmap within two weeks of each CAB meeting to maintain advisor engagement.
Three themes per roadmap keeps the presentation focused and actionable.
PowerPoint format lets you present the CAB roadmap in board reviews, QBRs, and advisory sessions without format conversion.
Compatible with Google Slides, Keynote, and LibreOffice Impress. Upload the .pptx to Google Drive to edit collaboratively in your browser.

Customer Advisory Board Roadmap Template for PowerPoint