For Pear Therapeutics's reSET digital therapeutic, should we prioritize expanding features or improving the existing core functionality?

Introduction

The trade-off we're examining today is whether to prioritize expanding features or improving existing core functionality for Pear Therapeutics's reSET digital therapeutic. This decision is crucial for the product's evolution and its impact on patients using digital therapeutics for substance use disorder treatment. I'll analyze this trade-off by considering user needs, business objectives, and technical feasibility to provide a strategic recommendation.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Based on the current market position, I'm thinking reSET might be facing competition from other digital therapeutics. Could you provide insights into our market share and primary competitors?

Why it matters: Helps determine if feature expansion or core improvement is more critical for competitive advantage. Expected answer: Moderate market share with 2-3 main competitors. Impact on approach: Would influence whether to focus on differentiation through new features or solidifying core offerings.

• Considering user engagement metrics, I'm assuming there might be drop-off points in the current user journey. Can you share any data on user retention and engagement patterns?

Why it matters: Identifies whether core functionality improvements could address existing user pain points. Expected answer: Some drop-off after initial onboarding, varying engagement levels. Impact on approach: High drop-off would prioritize core functionality improvements; stable engagement might favor feature expansion.

• Looking at our development resources, I'm curious about our current team capacity. How is our engineering team structured, and what's our bandwidth for new development versus maintenance?

Why it matters: Determines feasibility of pursuing feature expansion alongside core improvements. Expected answer: Balanced team with capacity for both maintenance and new development. Impact on approach: Limited resources would lean towards focusing on core improvements first.

• Regarding our product roadmap, I'm wondering about any upcoming regulatory requirements or compliance changes. Are there any pending regulations that might impact our product development priorities?

Why it matters: Ensures our strategy aligns with regulatory compliance needs. Expected answer: Some upcoming changes in data privacy regulations. Impact on approach: Significant regulatory changes might necessitate focusing on core functionality updates.

• Considering user feedback, I'm interested in understanding the most requested features versus the most common pain points. Can you provide insights into recent user research or feedback trends?

Why it matters: Balances user desires for new features against needs for improved existing functionality. Expected answer: Mix of feature requests and usability improvement suggestions. Impact on approach: Strong desire for new features might support expansion, while significant usability issues would prioritize core improvements.