Series 1: Why Your CAB Strategy Needs a 5-Year Vision
Most companies treat Customer Advisory Boards (CABs) like a one-time listening session. They might call it strategic, but it often becomes a glorified focus group. What gets missed?
The long game.
If you look at the most successful billion-dollar tech companies—Microsoft, Salesforce, Workday, Oracle, ServiceNow, AWS, Dell—they all have customer advisory boards. So don’t just take it from me. The model works.
The real difference lies in how you use it.
A CAB with a long-term vision? That’s where the magic happens.
The Problem: Short-Term Thinking Limits Long-Term Value
Many CABs plateau after Year One.
The typical arc looks like this:
✔️ Launch the CAB with enthusiasm
✔️ Gather product feedback
✔️ Capture a few soundbites
✔️ Send a follow-up thank-you email...
…and then? Momentum fades. Executives get busy. The CAB becomes a check-the-box program instead of a strategic asset.
"A CAB without a long-term vision is like planting a tree and walking away after watering it once."
Too often, CAB ownership gets handed off to someone already stretched thin—without experience, support, or time to guide it thoughtfully. It’s no wonder the potential gets lost.
The Opportunity: Relationship Compounding Over 5 Years
Let’s reframe the CAB not as an event, but as a relationship flywheel.
When you build trust with customers over time—genuine, vulnerable, roll-up-your-sleeves trust—those relationships evolve. From feedback providers… to trusted advisors… to advocates. And eventually? They become your moat.
“A well-run CAB isn’t just about listening. It’s about staying in the conversation.”
Here’s what a 5-year vision makes possible:
Year 1: Foundational trust. You learn who shows up—and who leans in.
Years 2–3: Strategic co-design. Customers begin to feel ownership in your roadmap.
Years 4–5: Advocacy and amplification. Your board members are calling you with market insight, competitive intel, or to volunteer for analyst calls and event panels.
This isn’t theory. It happens.
After one partner advisory board, a member reached out to the SVP of Channels to share a new promotional strategy. It was a signal—this company was quietly winning deals. The competitor, who hadn’t invested in an ongoing board, missed their moment. They didn’t have the ear of their partners.
That’s what long-term CAB strategy gives you: insight others miss—and time to act.
Coming Next: The 3 Phases of a CAB That Becomes a Moat
Want to know the difference between a CAB that fizzles and one that fuels long-term growth?
In Part 2, I’ll walk you through the three essential phases of a high-impact CAB lifecycle—from launch to longevity—and what most companies get wrong at each stage.
“If you’re only planning for the next CAB meeting, you might miss the next five years of growth it could spark.”
Want to Learn More?
If this shifted how you think about CAB strategy, you might enjoy my book:
Build a World-Class Customer Advisory Board.
It’s packed with lessons from 24 years of leading CABs—what worked, what didn’t, how I’ve turned CABs around, and how executives and practitioners can use frameworks, real stories, and practical tips to build something meaningful.
Because great companies don’t just listen to customers.
They build with them.