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Meetings & Communicationnoun · /ˈsteɪkhəʊldər/

stakeholder

In simple English

In tech companies, the term stakeholder is essential for project management and decision-making. Stakeholders can be internal (engineers, product managers, executives) or external (clients, users, partners). Understanding who your stakeholders are helps ensure that different perspectives are considered and that communication is clear about project goals, timelines, and changes. For example, when planning a feature release, your stakeholders might include the engineering team building it, the product manager defining requirements, the marketing team promoting it, customer support handling inquiries, and the actual users who will use the feature. Each group has different concerns and priorities. Addressing stakeholder needs early prevents miscommunication and delays later. The phrase engage stakeholders or keep stakeholders informed appears frequently in meetings. You might hear "We need stakeholder buy-in" meaning everyone involved must agree or support the decision before moving forward.

Understanding who cares about or is affected by your tech project and why their input matters.

At a glanceCEFR B2
Commonness5/5
Versatility5/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticNeutral
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓We need stakeholder buy-in on this decision.
✓Identify all stakeholders before the meeting.
✓Let us keep the stakeholders informed of any changes.

Real examples

in a project kickoff meeting

"Before we start, let us identify all the key stakeholders who need to be involved in this project."

in an email to the team

"I have scheduled a stakeholder review for next Wednesday to discuss the timeline and budget."

in a sprint planning session

"The stakeholders have requested that we prioritize the authentication feature over the dashboard redesign."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Do not confuse with shareholder (investor in a company). A stakeholder is anyone affected by or invested in a project outcome, not necessarily financially.

✕We are stakeholders of this company.
✓We are stakeholders in this project.— Stakeholders are interested in or affected by specific projects or decisions, not companies. Use in, not of.
✕The stakeholder decided to add a new feature.
✓The stakeholder requested that we add a new feature.— Stakeholders typically request or influence decisions, but engineers and managers make the actual decisions.
✕He is a shareholder, so he is a stakeholder.
✓He is a shareholder and also a stakeholder in our mobile app project.— Shareholders own company stock; stakeholders are anyone affected by or interested in a specific project.

Other forms

noun

stakeholder

"The main stakeholder in this initiative is the customer success team."

noun (plural)

stakeholders

"We must communicate with all stakeholders before launching the product."

adjective

stakeholder feedback

"We collected stakeholder feedback during the review session."

Often used with

key stakeholdersThe most important people involved in or affected by the project
engage stakeholdersTo involve and communicate with people who have an interest in the outcome
stakeholder buy-inAgreement and support from the important people involved
stakeholder feedbackOpinions and input from people affected by or interested in the project
identify stakeholdersTo determine who needs to be involved or informed about a project
stakeholder meetingA gathering of people with an interest in or responsibility for a project

Similar words

partyMore formal, but narrower; usually refers to legal parties in a contract.
participantSomeone actively involved, but does not necessarily imply long-term interest or investment.
interested partyMore descriptive but less common in tech; emphasizes interest rather than involvement.

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Complete the sentence

1. We should schedule a meeting with all the _______ before making a decision about the API redesign.

Spot the mistake

2. Which sentence uses stakeholder incorrectly?

Pick the most natural phrasing

3. You want to involve people who care about the project outcome. What do you say?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite using stakeholder: The people who care about this feature need to agree before we build it.

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "stakeholder" in a standup this week?

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