Should Dana prioritize new feature development or improving existing user experience?

Introduction

The trade-off between prioritizing new feature development or improving existing user experience is a critical decision that can significantly impact our product's success. This scenario touches on the core of product strategy, balancing innovation with user satisfaction. I'll analyze this trade-off by examining the context, potential impacts, and data-driven decision-making process.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm thinking our product might be in a mature stage given the focus on existing user experience. Could you provide more context on our product's lifecycle stage and recent growth trends?

Why it matters: Helps determine if we need to focus on retention or acquisition Expected answer: Mature product with slowing growth Impact on approach: Would lean towards improving user experience for retention

• Business Context: Based on the question, I assume revenue is a key concern. Can you share our current revenue model and how it relates to user engagement?

Why it matters: Aligns decision with financial goals Expected answer: Subscription-based model reliant on user retention Impact on approach: Would prioritize user experience improvements that directly impact retention

• User Impact: I'm curious about our user segments. Can you tell me which user groups are most affected by our current experience issues?

Why it matters: Identifies high-value targets for improvements Expected answer: Power users experiencing friction with advanced features Impact on approach: Would focus on streamlining complex workflows

• Technical: Considering the trade-off, I'm wondering about our technical debt. How flexible is our current architecture for adding new features vs. refining existing ones?

Why it matters: Assesses feasibility and resource requirements Expected answer: Significant technical debt limiting new feature development Impact on approach: Would lean towards improving existing features and reducing technical debt

• Resource: Given the trade-off, I'm assuming resources are constrained. What's our current team capacity and skill set distribution?

Why it matters: Determines realistic scope of potential projects Expected answer: Limited engineering resources, strong UX team Impact on approach: Would leverage UX strengths for experience improvements