In software development, deciding which features hold the most value can significantly impact the success of a product. However, identifying these “prized” features involves more than simply compiling a list of nice-to-have functionalities. It requires a deep understanding of the software’s intended goals, its users, and the context in which it operates. This article explores how to decide what the most prized features are and who should be responsible for making those decisions.

Deciding the Most Prized Features

When determining the most valuable software features, it’s essential to recognize that different features bring different types of benefits. Some features save users time, others provide more accurate or timely information, and some unlock access to new, previously unavailable data. These diverse outcomes should be carefully considered in order to assess the value each feature brings to the table.

  • Time-Saving Features: These aim to reduce manual effort, making workflows more efficient.
  • Accuracy-Enhancing Features: These improve the quality and precision of the data used within the system.
  • Information-Unlocking Features: These allow users to access new insights, providing a competitive advantage or solving previously unmet needs.

Furthermore, features can be categorized into two broad types:

  • Enhancements: These improve or augment existing functionalities.
  • Necessary Features: These address critical gaps in the current system that could lead to issues if not addressed.

Understanding the context of the software and its impact on the users’ overall experience will help differentiate between what’s “nice to have” versus what’s critical. Asking questions like, “What is the impact of not having this feature?” can be instrumental in determining its true value. For example, if a feature saves time but its absence won’t severely affect users, it may not be a high priority. Conversely, if a missing feature leads to significant operational inefficiencies or lost business, it becomes much more important.

Who Decides What the Most Prized Features Are?

The responsibility for deciding which features are most valuable often falls to the Product Owner. The Product Owner’s role is to gather input from various stakeholders, including end-users, developers, and business leaders, and prioritize features accordingly.

Different types of users have different concerns and priorities. For example:

  • A customer service representative might prize features that help them resolve issues faster.
  • A manager might prefer features that improve reporting and decision-making.
  • A developer might prioritize features that fix technical debt or improve system reliability.

To make the best decision, the Product Owner needs to gather feedback from all these perspectives and evaluate how each feature impacts the user experience, business goals, and technical stability. This is where prioritizing based on the feature’s potential value, compared to the current system, becomes crucial. The value of a new feature is measured by what it brings to the system that wasn’t there before, especially in terms of improving efficiency, accuracy, or overall user satisfaction.

Enhancement vs. Necessity

It’s important to distinguish between features that enhance the user experience and those that are essential for the software to function. Enhancement features, like a more intuitive user interface or additional reporting options, improve usability and satisfaction but aren’t critical for the software’s core operations. Necessary features, on the other hand, are those that the software cannot do without—for example, security features that protect user data or compliance features that meet legal requirements.

Looking Beyond Software: Interim Solutions

It’s important to remember that not every feature requires an immediate software-based solution. In some cases, the benefits provided by a feature might be achievable through manual processes in the interim. For instance, instead of building a custom interface for users to change their address, the software could simply display a message: “If your address changes, please send us an email.” A support team member could then manually update the database, eliminating the need to build an interface right away.

This approach allows teams to assess whether the cost and time required to build a feature are justified. If a manual workaround is sufficient, it might not be necessary to develop the feature at all—or at least not immediately. The question to ask is, “Can we provide a reasonable, cost-effective solution through a manual process for now?” If the answer is yes, the feature may not be as “prized” as initially thought.

Mitigation Plans and Manual Workarounds

It’s common for development teams to assume all requested features are necessary without considering alternative solutions. However, when deciding if a feature is truly essential, it’s helpful to explore mitigation plans. Could an employee make the necessary change manually? If so, the need to build a custom user interface may be reduced.

For example, instead of building an automated system for users to update their details, it may be sufficient to allow users to submit updates via email, where technical support staff can manually update the information. This reduces the need for immediate, costly feature development.

The Role of the Product Owner

The Product Owner plays a pivotal role in deciding which features to prioritize. They are responsible for maintaining the product backlog—a prioritized list of features and improvements. By understanding the needs of the stakeholders and the users, the Product Owner can make informed decisions about which features will deliver the most value.

Developer Input and Low-Cost “Band-Aid” Features

Developers also play an important role in identifying features that might not be immediately visible to the Product Owner. For instance, if a bug could result in database inconsistencies, developers could propose low-cost, “band-aid” features as interim solutions.

Consider a scenario where the system can cause a user’s age to be recorded as a negative value if the database goes down. The development team might suggest a script that runs hourly to check for negative age values and sends an alert to the support team, rather than working on building the complete fix right away.

Conclusion

Identifying the most prized software features is a complex process that involves understanding the needs of the users, the priorities of the stakeholders, and the cost and benefits of each potential feature. By considering interim solutions, the impact of not having a feature, and the real-world value that each feature brings, teams can make more informed decisions and prioritize features that truly make a difference.