Article · 10 min read

Kano Model

Wikipedia Free Intermediate

The Kano model separates must-be features (whose absence causes real anger) from delighters (whose absence nobody notices yet). That maps cleanly onto your question: a broken core flow fails a must-be need, while a plain UI is just a missing delighter. Use it to sort which parts of your first version can be rough and which absolutely cannot.

  • Must-be features cause anger when broken but no praise when present
  • Polish and delighters are optional early, basic reliability is not
  • Sort features by type before deciding what to cut
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The question it answers

  1. Should we ship an ugly, half-working version now or wait until it feels good enough to be proud of?

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