Becoming a Feature Factory

As we’ve discussed before, you need to have the top-level strategy first, followed by the aligned product strategy. Next, you prioritize and create the roadmap. Everything is clear until you start getting feedback from your customers.

The Challenge with Customer Feedback

Customer-facing roles in the organization will push harder each time they get new feedback. Often, the Sales leader will sponsor these requests, and sometimes even the CEO will push the product team. Here are several options for handling this feedback:

1. Accepting All Feedbacks: If you start adding every feedback into your roadmap without analyzing if it’s needed, you will become a feature factory.
2. Selective Addition: If you analyze the feedback, agree it’s needed, and add the required ones to your roadmap without strategic alignment, you risk becoming a factory again.
3. Rejecting Feedback: If you reject feedback to keep your roadmap as planned until the re-planning term, you might make customers and leadership unhappy.

A Better Approach

1. Understand the Request

• It could be a need due to misuse or lack of knowledge.
• It might be a known need but not prioritized.
• It could be a need that costs too much to develop with existing technology.
• It might be addressed with a workaround.
• It could be a need for a specific user or customer.
• It could be something else entirely…

2. Evaluate the Request

• Decide if it makes sense and if you should do it.

3. Check Strategic Fit

• If it fits your strategy, assess feasibility and communicate the schedule to the customer. If you can’t decide the schedule, tell them it will be done “soon.”
• If it doesn’t fit your strategy, discuss it with leadership. Strategies can change, and it might be necessary to adjust the strategy to accommodate the new need.

Conclusion

Managing customer feedback effectively requires balancing the needs of your customers with your strategic goals. By understanding requests, evaluating their importance, and ensuring strategic alignment, you can avoid becoming a feature factory and maintain focus on your long-term objectives.

#featurefactory #productmanagement #customerfeedback #strategicalignment #startupstrategy #productroadmap #innovation