In a jaw-dropping 2019 study conducted by Pendo.
A whopping 80 percent of features are rarely or never used.
It is crucial to develop the skill of saying "no" to feature requests.
Do not let "features kill your startup"
Don't get sucked into feature building!
Do not run a startup disguised as a developer shop, no good product is going to come out of this.
You are building a product.
What would you do to ensure what you build will be used by the users?
A common mistake startups make is overcommitting or falling into the pitfalls of the Sunk cost fallacy.
Instead, pour your energy into establishing success criteria.
Make it a ritual to scrutinize performance metrics consistently.
When the cold, hard data points to underperformance.
Don't hesitate to wield the axe on features that fail to meet expectations.
Expect to face the constant scrutiny of your competitors and the often misinformed opinions of your customers.
They will compare you to others, and more often than not, they'll get it wrong.
They may even recommend your product, but in a way that makes it sound downright dreadful.
They'll demand features that your rivals possess but you lack.
And yes, they'll unabashedly switch to your competitors and delight in telling you so.
The opinions of others can be fickle and misguided.
Don't waste your energy.
Focus instead on your path, your vision, and your own goals.
Stay true to yourself, keep doing your thing, and deliver exceptional value to those who truly appreciate it.
Gaining wisdom, and learning from setbacks is built not upon the opinions of others, but upon the foundations you lay and the value you provide.
A sustainable bootstrapped business is built on the foundation of finding a repeatable, reliable, and resilient system that continuously delivers a valuable product to paying customers while generating a profit.
Your codebase is a valuable asset.
Your code base should be viewed as an investment, and like any investment.
The concept of opportunity cost takes center stage.
Streamline your product development process. Let's build your vision together.
Do not lose sight of your product's true value proposition.
If you build one feature per customer then you will never run out of features to build.
Scaling becomes an uphill battle.
The result will be you building a bloated product that lost its true value proposition.
Strike a balance between delivering customer value and managing the technical complexity of your product.
Understanding the technical aspects of your product empowers you to make informed decisions about which features should take precedence.
Tip: Features that genuinely enhance customer value are incorporated into the product.
This requires following certain practices.
Assess the potential gains and losses tied to each feature with a discerning eye. Strategically align your decisions to maximize the overall value of your end product.
Educate and market features effectively, helping users understand how it solve their problems.
Evaluate the potential gains and losses associated with each feature.
Make decisions based on maximizing overall value and long-term sustainability.
Prioritize value, and flexibility to successfully scale your product.
Recognize when to gracefully decline certain feature requests.
Skillfully saying "no" to specific feature requests is not a setback but a strategic move that preserves the integrity and profitability of your product.
Place a premium on both value and flexibility.
The art of codebase management is not just a task.
It's a noteworthy achievement that deserves acknowledgment.
In recognizing when to gracefully turn down certain feature requests.
You grant yourself the liberty to navigate your codebase with a focus on maintainability and scalability.
It's not just about saying "yes" or "no".
It's about developing a product that provides value to paying customers.