AR cannot work in a vacuum

One of the things I've always loved about Analyst Relations is its impact and span across the business. In discussions with several software companies over the last few months, it's been reassuring to hear that most vendors see AR as a cross-department role (I speak from decades of experience, and that's not always been the case).

You can't develop an AR plan without management input or a view into the company's vision, mission, and direction. You can't plan to brief analysts without a view of product roadmaps and an understanding of dependencies, opportunities, and possible roadblocks. You can't map AR programs to support sales goals if you don't know what the sales plan is. Without common, frequent, and transparent discussions, you can't support marketing (or have marketing support AR).

Then, consider the 'big lift' of being involved in a report such as Forrester Wave or a Gartner Magic Quadrant. You must ensure that all these stakeholders are involved and have insights into the resources and input you need to participate fully in those critical, long-shelf-life assessments.

If AR is in a vacuum, it's a massive missed opportunity. In a vacuum, it's impossible to work in alignment with the business, support the vision and mission, have worthwhile and in-depth discussions with industry analysts, guide product development, share third-party insights of competitors' strategies, and realize all the massive value AR brings to any software business.