Here's the rule: When it comes to software, you should only build the 20% of features that 80% of the market needs… That’s a pretty bold statement, right? But it’s largely true. Anything else you spend your time on will end up costing you in the long run. Either in maintenance costs, or bloat, or tech debt (or all of the above). Adding more features to your app than your customers need has a huge negative effect on the user experience (and on your dev team). Now, you’ll notice I said “largely true.” That’s because as product people, we all understand that sometimes you have to make exceptions, even to good rules. For example, in your search for product-market fit, you may have to do concierge work for your early adopters. That’s ok. Just don’t make it a habit. Ok, so back to the rule. What this rule means is that you’re going to have to really understand your market. You can’t assume that your competitors know the market better than you. Because if you follow their feature list, you may end up with the same bloated app they built. And what if they know less than you? The reality is hardly anyone knows their market like they should. Everyone offloads this to others. I'll talk about that in a future post. I'm not saying don’t pay attention to your competitors. I’m saying KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS. Know when they’re asking for a feature that is a one-off. Know when to say “No” and how to do it deftly. Know the 80% use cases. Figure out what your aggregate buyers need (ideally without writing any code). Then build only the features they need. Your customers will thank you. Your dev team will thank you. Your balance sheet will thank you.
