Your client is pushing for new features, but project scope is at risk. How will you navigate this challenge?

If one is in a B2B product space, this is always true. Clients will have a list of features that they expect the teams to deliver. Feature intake process: Set a process for new feature intake. Having a process and diligently having new requests go through the process, helps customers understand where their feature stands against others in the roadmap Open communication: In my experience having an open communication channel with the client, keeping them in the loop on product roadmap and features is critical. If customers understand where the product is going and how it will help them, they will partner with you to help prioritize their future requests as well.

I think its important to allocate a percentage of your engineering bandwidth to 1. Tech Debt 2. Product Debt 3. Customer Requests/Support 4. Performance and Scalability improvements 5. Roadmap items. This way you have a guideline that you and your peers and top management agreed to and any external pressures from customers can be handled with a unified voice rather than emergency meetings and consensus building each time

It is crucial to communicate openly and transparently. Start off by revisiting the initial project agreement and scope documents with the client to remind them of the agreed upon goals and deliverables. Prioritize the client's requests based on their impact and alignment with project objectives. Negotiate compromises if necessary - either phasing in new features in future updates or reallocating resources to accommodate critical changes without derailing the project timeline. Keep the client informed about the implications of scope changes on budget, timeline, and overall project success.

Another way to look at it is, what’s the impact to launching with the current scope and then adding in the new ask. Compare that with what adding in the new ask and then launching. Odds are there’s not a big delta. So launching and then adding the increased scope is the fastest way to add value.

The number one reason for project delay's is scope creep! These discussions need to happen at the beginning of a project, before any changes are suggested. If and when the client ask's for changes the rules should already be well understood. There will be an impact to schedule and cost. The question is the ROI. What do you gain for these changes and what is the impact. Accurately predicting ROI is also a challenge but a challenge you have to accept.

Back in 2010, I invented a solar charger to charge USB devices. There were many hurdles to make it ready for prime time. We released our first model in 2012. It was a success (over 30 thousand sold to date). Over the years we have made improvements based on customer feedback. Some suggestions that customers required were either integrated or we explained a work around that solved the problem. Our original solar charger models had no grommets to attach to things. This was a high priority to include. The utmost importance is to provide what your customers want to increase sales. If you provide new features with your own engineering arrogance and what you THINK the customer may want or need, you will fail. Listen to the customer.

From the beginning of a project, I implement weekly or 14-day sprints to manage scope and expectations effectively. At the start of each sprint, we set clear goals and priorities, deciding which features to implement. This approach allows us to evaluate progress regularly and adjust based on the latest feedback and insights. By introducing new features in a controlled manner, we maintain the project scope without compromise. This iterative process keeps the team focused and productive, while also building trust with the client through continuous progress and involvement in decision-making. By consistently applying this method, we balance new feature requests with the project's core objectives.