Building the Product

Every user interview gives me a different feature request. How do I turn messy feedback into a real prioritisation decision?

A starting point

Raw feature requests are the worst input to a roadmap because users describe solutions, not problems. As a starting point: for every request, dig one layer down to the underlying problem and how often it bites them, then cluster by problem, not by feature, and you will usually find three real problems hiding behind twenty requests. Build for the problem the most users hit most painfully, and let the specific solution be your call, not theirs.

Go deeper

Hand-picked from around the web, each with a note on why it earns your time.

3 resources 3 link-checked

Read

📖 Book
✓ Link checked Paid Beginner

Why we picked it The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past behaviour, not your idea, so you can't be lied to. If a founder reads one thing before talking to a single customer, it's this.

The Mom Test

From momtestbook.com by Rob Fitzpatrick ~130 pages

  • Talk about their life, not your idea.
  • Ask about specifics in the past, not opinions about the future.
  • 'That's so cool, I'd totally buy it' is a compliment, not data, dig for commitment and evidence.
Open momtestbook.com →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked Freemium Intermediate

Why we picked it The canonical HBR article that formalizes JTBD from its originators, the authoritative reference every founder citing 'jobs to be done' should have actually read.

Know Your Customers' 'Jobs to Be Done'

From Harvard Business Review by Clayton M. Christensen, Taddy Hall, Karen Dillon, David S. Duncan ~20 min read

  • A 'job' is the progress a customer is trying to make in a circumstance
  • Jobs have functional, social, and emotional dimensions
  • Innovation succeeds when it's organized around the job, not the product category
  • Understanding the job reveals who and what you truly compete with
Open hbr.org →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Intermediate

Why we picked it The original, primary source where the RICE framework was introduced, cite this, not the SEO reposts. The clearest way to compare hard-to-compare feature ideas.

RICE: Simple Prioritization for Product Managers

From Intercom Blog by Sean McBride ~12 min read

  • Score = (Reach x Impact x Confidence) / Effort.
  • Forces you to quantify confidence and expose low-confidence pet projects.
  • Comparable scores let you rank features objectively.
Open intercom.com →

People also ask

How do I decide what to build next? Prioritize outcomes, not output, and use a simple scoring frame like RICE, Reach x Impact x Confidence, divided by Effort, to compare ideas honestl... Intermediate 2 resources → How often should an early-stage startup ship? Ship weekly, at least, cadence is a competitive advantage because faster loops mean faster learning. You haven't really started until you launch, a... Beginner 2 resources → How do I build a roadmap without over-planning? Work in short fixed cycles with variable scope, Basecamp's Shape Up runs on six-week bets, not a rigid multi-quarter Gantt chart. Make a few bets y... Intermediate 2 resources → How do I keep talking to users while I'm heads-down building? Make discovery continuous, not a one-time phase: interview a customer or two every single week, even in a build sprint. Teresa Torres's opportunity... Intermediate 2 resources → How do product teams keep a consistent shipping rhythm as they grow? Separate your planning cadence from your execution cadence and lean on async updates instead of endless meetings. A predictable operating rhythm, w... Advanced 2 resources → How do I say no to feature requests without losing customers? Anchor every 'no' to the outcome you're chasing and the customers you're building for, most requests are solutions in disguise, so dig for the unde... Intermediate 3 resources →