I carefully assess each task's impact on our product and users, considering both short-term gains and long-term sustainability. Urgent bugs that significantly affect user experience or core functionality typically take precedence, as they can quickly erode trust and retention. However, I also balance this with the need to implement key features that drive growth, always communicating transparently with stakeholders to align on priorities and manage expectations.

We have been going through a similar prioritization exercise recently. We've been fast-fixing any bugs that are "confidence killers" (would lead a client not to trust the app going forward). When those are out of the way we are building features that are common hard objections to adoption (i.e. "I want to use your product, but I can't until you build X functionality), and finally we are going back and fixing any remaining bugs and UX improvements that will drive long-term adoption. But like all many things in Product, it has been an art and not a science.

Categorizing bugs into various types, such as: Functional bugs – Do they impact the user journey? Major design bugs – Are the designs not following brand colors/guidelines etc? Minor design bugs – Smaller issues like text size, padding inconsistencies, etc. Documenting these along with the next set of features and assessing how severely the bugs impact the overall product can make the discussion more objective. Assigning a score to both bugs and features based on factors like user reach, engineering effort, revenue/GMV impact, urgency, and classification (e.g., whether it's breaking the user journey or if it's a feature to compete with another player in the market) will help with prioritisation.

In a fast-paced startup, balancing bug fixes and new features is a constant challenge. To prioritize effectively, I first assess the impact of each task. Critical bugs that affect core functionality or user experience always come first, as they directly impact customer satisfaction and retention. For new features, I consider their alignment with business goals, potential for user growth, and market differentiation. I also consult with the team to gauge resource availability and technical feasibility. By using a structured prioritization method—based on urgency, impact, and strategic value—I ensure we're moving forward without sacrificing product stability or long-term goals.