Too many features might be ruining your software

Softwares are just starting, now the product creation will only multiply year over year. Creation is now becoming much more streamlined and easier with the new-found power of AI. But do not forget, when the quantity starts increasing you will always have two aspects -

You will see products coming in faster with a lot of features and getting lost in the crowd.
The second products would be very clean, planned, and will stand out.

Many companies and founders force features after features, and to be honest.

You might be the problem

You started your company or startup due to one reason, that you saw a potential problem and knew how to solve it. You have so much knowledge in your domain that you exactly know what the market and customer needs, even what the competition is doing. So you did exactly what every founder does at the first place -

Created features, what your competitors already has
Added your own bias by mixing technology and market demands
Added some more features based on stakeholders feedback

Now, you have more features than you probably know of and customers that don't know what to do with your software. Because it's too much. If you can answer these questions very plainly, you don't need to read further. But if you cannot, you need to go till the end.

Q1. How many features does your software has?

Q2. What are the areas in your product where customer is spending most of the time?

Q3. What features are dead, i.e. never been used once by your customers?

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Feature Addiction

Feature addiction, left unchecked, causes bloat. Worse case scenario, this could lead to slow death of your software which was started with an firm intention. Sadly, in software development, it's an easy trap to fall into.

Basecamp’s co-founder Jason Fried illustrates how bloat occurs in this classic Inc.com article entitled ‘How to kill a bad idea’. He uses a water bottle as an example: all of a water bottle’s features, from its cap to facilitate drinking and storage to its clear plastic container, are there to clarify its function: drinking.

In software, Jason argues, ‘software doesn’t have mass. It doesn’t have shape. [...] Nothing is pushing back, saying, "That's a bad idea; that won't work; that's going to burn someone or hurt someone or make someone drop it or..." Almost none of the tools we've developed to evaluate physical objects apply to software. This is why most software goes bad over time. Software - websites included - usually start out pretty good. The first version is pretty focused. Yes, there are horror stories of overstuffed websites or unwieldy software products. But for the most part, the first version of something has the fewest features it ever will have.”

Jason continues to discuss how as time goes on, versions become more and more bloated. Where the water bottle example is limited by the laws of physics (you can’t keep adding stuff to one or it’ll become physically unsuitable), digital software can just grow and grow with more features.

Ultimately the only limit in the digital world is the ability to say no. It is up to you, the product owner, to identify unnecessary features and remove them from the product or refuse to allow them to be added. The earlier you can do this, the better - as you’ll avoid messy launches.

When to say no?

The answer lies in the question we asked before - Why did you started it? Your competition might have a lot of features but that doesn't necessarily mean that those features are actually impactful in solving your business case for the customer.

As long as a feature cannot be converted into intentional and clear functional requirements and get a impact score of 3/4 at minimum. You should say no. But why? Because it helps you to focus on impactful features that your competitors might be overlooking.

Considering functionality is far a deeper way to understand your product. Rather than looking at what a competitor’s features are, why not instead look at what your users really need? Map out user journeys and build feature lists based on user needs rather than competitor envy.

A final note to bringing depth to your softwares

In an ideal world, features are developed based on detailed customer journey and how will they interact with the product to solve a problem. Unfortunately, through competitor and market feature addiction, your project can be rapidly derailed or bloated by the added weight of lots of unnecessary features.

Let's make it a little simple. You know what essential features a house has -

Windows
Doors
Roof
Garage
Bedrooms
Living room
Bathroom
Kitchen

No two homes are exactly alike, even if they have similar features on paper. For example, a house in the chilly Northeast UK with a modest budget of £100,000 will need windows that can handle cold weather, whereas a £10 million villa in sunny Spain will require windows designed to keep out intense sunlight. Both have windows, but the details differ based on the environment and budget.

When it comes to designing products, just listing features isn't enough. You need to think about what the feature actually does for the user. In the window example, a window’s purpose is to provide ventilation and light. So, whether it’s double-glazed, its handle design, or even its size will depend on specific needs like climate, cost, and even the home’s location. In short, the functionality drives the feature.

For digital products, it’s best to build features based on real user needs, not just what looks appealing. Your competitors might have some flashy feature that’s tempting to copy, but if it doesn’t fit into your user journey, it can be better to pass on it. Saying "no" to unnecessary features will save you time, keep things simpler, and lead to a smoother experience for your users.

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But if are more of a result oriented person and just need those strategies to work for your software right now. I offer 1v1 consultation to activate your customer retention to maximize profits through your software. Just DM "Profits" and we can take from there.

📰 Three amazing articles to make better software that you must read

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