Essay · 10 min read

Rarely say yes to feature requests

Des Traynor · Intercom (Des Traynor) Free Intermediate

This gives you the actual checklist a request has to clear before it earns a yes, starting with whether it fits the vision and the customers you are building for. It names how products rot one lazy yes at a time, which is the cost you are protecting against. Read it when you want a repeatable filter instead of deciding each request on gut feel.

  • A new feature should pass a fixed set of questions before you commit to it
  • Your vision matters more than any single request, metric, or sales target
  • Bloat is invisible in the moment and only obvious in the rear view mirror
Open on intercom.com ↗

It answers 2 questions

  1. How do I say no to feature requests without losing customers?
  2. How do I set a roadmap when half my revenue comes from one big customer who keeps asking for custom features?

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