Last updated on
2024年9月21日
You're torn between bug fixes and new features on your software roadmap. How do you prioritize effectively?
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Deciding what takes precedence on your software roadmap can be tricky. To prioritize effectively:
How do you balance maintenance with innovation in your software projects?
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Bugs are always the first priority if any functioning team. Always. Any other path leads to madness. Keep your bugs at zero, or one. Fix them *as you find them*. Never allow pointy headed manager idiots to deprioritize keeping your bug backlog empty. It doesn’t matter if it’s a minor bug or a major one, a cosmetic one or one that caused an outage. It’s like telling someone it’s ok to carry “a little bit” of credit card debt. It’s never ok to do that. Ever. Not even once. If you end up taking over when someone else hasn’t done this, sorry. Fix it as quickly as you can. All resources, all the time, to get it to zero. No new features until zero bugs. That’s the policy you have to do. Just like no new spending until zero debt.
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Balancing maintenance with innovation in software projects requires a strategic approach. First, assess the impact of bugs and technical debt on user experience; prioritize fixes that affect core functionality. Simultaneously, evaluate the value new features bring to users, considering both short-term gains and long-term growth. Align priorities with your company’s strategic goals to ensure innovation doesn't outpace necessary improvements. Agile methodologies can help, allowing you to alternate between maintenance and feature sprints. Lastly, keep communication open with stakeholders to adjust priorities as needed, ensuring a balance between stability and progress.
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You may need to balance both! Evaluate the impact of the critical bugs and how working on the new features may impact the capacity of the resources and delivery of bug fixes. Collaborate with the product and business owners to understand what features and bug fixes they want included, and then present some delivery options showcasing how you can achieve it.
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Balancing bug fixes and new features can be challenging, but prioritizing comes down to understanding impact. When faced with this dilemma, I start by assessing the severity of bugs—if something is breaking core functionality or causing major user issues, that takes priority. On the other hand, if a new feature has the potential to significantly enhance user experience or bring in new business, I weigh that as well. Regular check-ins with stakeholders help align these decisions with long-term goals. It’s all about finding a balance between maintaining stability and driving innovation, without letting either side fall behind.
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- Evaluate the severity of each bug and how often it occurs. Critical bugs that affect core functionality or security should be prioritized. - Consider how the bug affects the user experience. Bugs that lead to user frustration or data loss should be addressed promptly. - Bugs that could harm your brand’s reputation or lead to non-compliance with regulations need immediate attention.