Feature Creep

Also called Scope Creep

The gradual pile-up of extra features that bloats a product beyond its core purpose, making it harder to use, maintain, and explain. Scope creep is the same tendency within a single project.

Why it matters

Feature creep is how focused products become confusing ones, and it usually comes from saying yes too often. Guarding against it, deciding what not to build, is as important as deciding what to build.

For example

A once-simple note app becomes bloated with a calendar, chat, and a wiki, and new users cannot figure out what it is for anymore.

Worth your time

Related terms

Product Roadmap Minimum Viable Product Minimum Viable Audience

Go deeper

See how founders actually handle this on Building the product, part of the Starting Up hub.

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