Gainsight Community: How Ideation Works

While getting our ideation process back on track, we noticed we had never published a clear guide on how ideation works or what resources are available to you. So we put this together as a starting point, and we hope it helps you!

This post is your starting point. It covers how to submit, what happens next, and links to everything else you need. We will keep adding in links as we publish more details over time.

Which products are on the Ideas board?

You can submit ideas across all Gainsight products:

• Customer Communities (CC) 
• Customer Success (CS) 
• Skilljar 
• PX
• CE
• Staircase AI

Each product has its own dedicated space on the Ideas board. When submitting, make sure you're posting in the right product category so your idea reaches the right PM.

How to submit a good idea

• Title it clearly: Be specific with the requirement. Example -. "Add CSV export to Timeline" works better than "CSV Export feature"

• Describe the problem and context: What workflow gap are you hitting, and how often? The more detail, the better.
• Choose the right product area: Please select 1 product area so your idea reaches the right PM. If your idea spans more than one, pick the most relevant one. Not sure? Tag us in the comments and we'll help re-tag it correctly.
• Check for duplicates first: Voting on an existing idea carries more weight than a new post. A quick search will bring up related topics for you to vote on!
• One idea per post: Bundled requests are harder for PMs to act on and update. 

How to vote and comment effectively: Votes signal demand. Comments add the context. When you comment, share your specific use case. PMs read these during scoping and planning. A comment like "We lose ~2 hours/week on this workaround" carries far more weight than a +1. 

What happens after you submit

Your idea moves through the following main stages:

New Idea → Open → Discovery → Development → Released

For full definitions of each status, see: 

Ideas may also be marked:

• Parked: The idea is not being considered right now, but not off the table. The PM will share a reason, and it will be revisited during the next roadmap planning to see if it can be brought back.
• Closed (Won't Do): These ideas won't be worked on in the foreseeable future - either they're no longer relevant to the product or won't be revisited within the next two years. We'll archive them, but they'll remain publicly accessible under Archived ideas.. If you feel strongly about a closed idea, you're welcome to resubmit it at a later stage for reconsideration  though we can't guarantee it'll move forward.
  • Another situation where this status appears is during our yearly archival process. For context on our archiving approach: 

How we prioritize ideas

Votes and comments are important signals - they show demand and surface real use cases. But prioritization involves more than vote count. We look at:

• Strategic alignment with the product roadmap
• Technical complexity and feasibility
• Customer impact at scale 

This means a highly-voted idea may take longer if it's complex, and a smaller request may move faster if it unlocks something foundational. Every idea contributes to the bigger picture, even when the timing isn't immediate.

For more on our approach:

Quarterly Ideation Review

Starting now, every quarter, we publish a review of what moved, what's planned, and what's still being evaluated - our way of closing the loop with the community. Each review covers status changes across product areas and highlights ideas that gained traction.

Please note - we have kickstarted this for CC at the moment and it will reflect towards all products soon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was my idea declined or closed?

Ideas are marked Closed (Won't Do) when they're out of scope, not feasible, or won't be revisited in the near term. We will ensure we leave a reason.

What's the difference between Parked and Closed?

Parked means the PM has paused it for now, but will revisit it during roadmap planning. Closed (Won't Do) means it won't be considered within the next two years and it will be archived.

How long does the review take?

All NEW status ideas are planned to be triaged once they surpass minimum 5 votes. Please note that status changes depend on roadmap cycles for each product, so timelines vary by product and product area. 

Can I submit ideas for multiple products?

Yes. Please make sure each idea is posted under the right product category. If you're unsure, tag us and we'll help.

I submitted an idea but the product area seems wrong. What do I do?

Tag us in the comments and we'll get it re-tagged to the right area.

What happens to ideas that get archived?

Archived ideas move to a dedicated category that's still publicly accessible. We make sure nothing is deleted. If your idea was archived and you'd like it reconsidered, feel free to resubmit it at a later stage.

Does voting actually make a difference?

Yes, but it's not a simple ranking system. Votes and comments are important signals, but prioritization also considers strategic alignment, technical complexity, and broader customer impact. You can track how ideas move through our Quarterly Ideation Review.

Will I be notified when my idea status changes?

Yes, as long as you've engaged on the idea or followed it, you'll receive a notification when the status is updated.

Please let us know if there’s anything else you would like us to add to this list to make ideation a smoother process for you. 

📌 A note on where we are: Everything above currently applies fully to Customer Communities (CC). We're reworking the process from scratch for other products right now and will keep this post updated in case of any changes, as things take shape for each product.