To ensure product success, prioritize fixing critical bugs by allocating dedicated resources, using bug-fixing sprints, and implementing continuous testing. Deploy hotfixes for urgent issues, monitor user feedback, and communicate transparently with customers, while balancing new feature development.

In my perspective, Microsoft and Apple illustrate two distinct approaches to this balance. Microsoft often prioritizes rapid innovation by releasing updates with new features promptly, which can sometimes introduce bugs that are later addressed. This agile method follows a continuous improvement approach but may temporarily affect user experience. On the other hand, Apple tends to delay releases to ensure their products are almost bug-free and highly polished, building strong brand equity through reliability. While both strategies have their merits, I personally value a bug-free experience over excessive innovative clutter in public releases. Striking the right balance is indeed delicate and essential for project success.

Balancing innovation with essential maintenance requires a strategic approach. You should prioritize bugs based on their impact on functionality and user experience, ensuring that critical issues are resolved first. For example, companies like Facebook and Google often implement bug bounty programs to address security and performance issues while still innovating. You should also schedule dedicated time for bug fixing, similar to how Microsoft uses "patch Tuesday" for regular updates. Clear communication with stakeholders, like Apple's regular updates on product performance and upcoming features, ensures that both innovation and maintenance remain in focus without compromising project success.

From outsider views (customers) critical bugs fixed are for product survival, it is reality we are facing. New features are in blue zone. From inner development team: bug is rough road to the hell, new feature is the hope of the future, that”s motivation (as of the dream). No product could reach the future while not surviving. So that fixing critical bugs is always the first priority then developing new features encourage the team to keep going. If the leader can link the benefit of the fixes with the new existing thing that makes best solution (ideally). All the team must be recognized fairly by fixing jobs or completing new things. Smart leader should build and coach a team of realistic dreamers.

When your team is focused on new features but critical bugs remain, it's important to strike the right balance for project success. First, prioritize bug fixes by clearly communicating their impact on overall performance and user experience. Set up a dual-track approach, where part of the team addresses critical bugs while others continue working on new features. Regular check-ins and transparent progress reports help ensure both goals are met without sacrificing quality. Emphasize that delivering a stable, reliable product is key to long-term success.