When you’re bootstrapping a SaaS, deciding which features to build next can be a daunting task. You have limited time, budget, and resources, so prioritizing the right features is critical to keeping your product competitive while satisfying your users. This article will guide you through proven methods to prioritize features that will have the greatest impact on your business growth, using real-world examples and practical frameworks.
1. Focus on Features That Solve Pain Points
The most important factor when prioritizing features is understanding your users’ pain points. The features that directly address your users’ biggest challenges are often the ones that will have the most impact on customer satisfaction and retention.
Example:
- Slack initially focused on one core pain point: team communication. Their early features addressed chat, file sharing, and real-time notifications, solving the biggest problem for their target audience. They later expanded with integrations and custom workflows, but only after addressing the core need.
How to Identify Pain Points:
- Talk to your users: Conduct interviews or surveys to ask users what their biggest challenges are.
- Analyze support tickets: Look for common themes in customer support requests to see what features users are requesting or struggling with.
- Study competitors: See what pain points competitors are solving and look for opportunities to improve.
| Pain Point Identification | Action |
|---|---|
| User Feedback | Conduct interviews or surveys to understand key challenges. |
| Support Tickets | Analyze common requests or issues from your support team. |
| Competitor Research | Study your competitors to identify gaps or areas of improvement. |
2. Apply the MoSCoW Framework
The MoSCoW method is a prioritization framework that helps you categorize features based on their importance. This method splits features into four categories:
- Must Have: Features that are critical for the product’s success and user satisfaction.
- Should Have: Features that are important but not immediately essential.
- Could Have: Nice-to-have features that can wait until later development.
- Won’t Have: Features that aren’t necessary right now and should be deprioritized.
Example:
- Dropbox started with a minimal set of Must Have features: file synchronization and storage. Features like sharing permissions and advanced collaboration tools were initially Should Have, and were added later once the core functionality was stable.
How to Use the MoSCoW Framework:
- List all potential features: Create a list of every feature request, idea, or suggestion you’ve received.
- Assign priorities: Categorize each feature into Must, Should, Could, or Won’t based on how crucial they are to user satisfaction and product success.
- Focus on Must Haves: Develop Must Have features first, then move on to Should Haves as time and resources allow.
| MoSCoW Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Must Have | Critical features required for product success. |
| Should Have | Important features but not immediately essential. |
| Could Have | Nice-to-have features that can be developed later. |
| Won’t Have | Features that aren’t necessary at this time. |
3. Use the RICE Scoring Model
The RICE framework helps you prioritize features by assigning scores to four factors: Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort. This method allows you to compare features objectively and focus on those with the highest overall score.
RICE Formula:
- Reach: How many users will benefit from the feature? (e.g., number of users per month)
- Impact: How much will this feature improve user satisfaction or business goals? (e.g., low, medium, high impact)
- Confidence: How confident are you in your estimates? (e.g., 100% confident vs. 50% uncertain)
- Effort: How much time or resources are required to build the feature? (e.g., person-months)
RICE Score = (Reach * Impact * Confidence) / Effort
Example:
- Intercom uses RICE scoring to prioritize product development. For example, a feature that improves onboarding for new users might have a high Reach and Impact but low Effort, making it a top priority.
How to Apply the RICE Method:
- Evaluate each feature: Estimate the Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort for every feature idea.
- Score the features: Calculate the RICE score by multiplying Reach, Impact, and Confidence, then dividing by Effort.
- Prioritize high RICE scores: Focus on the features with the highest RICE scores, as they offer the most value with the least effort.
| RICE Factor | Definition |
|---|---|
| Reach | How many users will benefit from the feature. |
| Impact | How much the feature will improve the product or user experience. |
| Confidence | How confident you are in your estimates. |
| Effort | How much time or resources the feature will require. |
4. Prioritize Features Based on Customer Feedback
Customer feedback is one of the most valuable tools you can use when deciding which features to build next. Your users know what they need, and by listening to them, you can prioritize features that will have the biggest impact on customer satisfaction.
Example:
- Trello actively listens to its user community and frequently adds features based on user requests. Their Power-Ups feature, which allows integrations with other tools, was developed in response to strong customer demand for more customization.
How to Leverage Customer Feedback:
- Create feedback loops: Use tools like NPS surveys, in-app feedback, or support tickets to gather insights directly from users.
- Track feature requests: Use a tool like Canny or Trello to organize and prioritize feature requests.
- Engage with your community: Host AMAs, run surveys, or create a public roadmap to allow users to vote on the features they want most.
| Customer Feedback Tool | Usage |
|---|---|
| NPS Surveys | Measure customer satisfaction and gather suggestions. |
| In-App Feedback | Collect feedback directly from users while they interact with your product. |
| Public Roadmaps | Allow users to see and vote on upcoming features. |
5. Balance Short-Term Wins with Long-Term Growth
It’s important to balance features that offer quick wins with those that align with your long-term vision. Quick wins can improve user satisfaction and drive short-term growth, while long-term features ensure that your product remains competitive in the future.
Example:
- Canva balanced quick wins, like new template designs, with long-term growth features like Canva Pro and enterprise-level collaboration tools. This strategy allowed them to capture both individual users and large teams, fueling their rapid growth.
How to Balance Priorities:
- Identify quick wins: Look for features that require low effort but provide high value or satisfaction. These are great for improving customer retention and showing continuous improvement.
- Plan for long-term growth: Set aside resources for developing more complex, long-term features that align with your overall vision and market positioning.
- Mix both into your roadmap: Ensure your development roadmap includes a mix of both quick wins and long-term initiatives.
| Feature Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Quick Wins | Low-effort, high-impact features that improve user experience quickly. |
| Long-Term Growth Features | More complex features that align with the long-term vision and strategic goals. |
6. Set Up a Product Roadmap
Once you’ve prioritized your features, it’s important to create a roadmap that outlines when and how these features will be developed and released. A roadmap helps keep your team focused and aligned, while also giving your users insight into upcoming features.
Example:
- GitLab makes its product roadmap public, allowing users to see what’s being worked on and when they can expect new features. This transparency helps build trust and keeps the user base engaged with future updates.
Steps to Create a Product Roadmap:
- Choose a roadmap tool: Use tools like Trello, Aha!, or Productboard to organize your roadmap visually.
- Plan release cycles: Break your roadmap into release cycles or sprints, focusing on delivering high-priority features first.
- Communicate your roadmap: Share the roadmap with your team and your users to manage expectations and gather feedback.
| Roadmap Tool | Usage |
|---|---|
| Trello | Simple, visual boards to organize your feature development. |
| Aha! | Advanced product roadmap and planning tools for larger teams. |
| Productboard | Roadmap and feedback management specifically for product teams. |
Key Takeaways:
- Focus on features that solve your users’ biggest pain points to maximize customer satisfaction and retention.
- Use frameworks like MoSCoW or RICE to prioritize features objectively based on their impact, effort, and value.
- Gather customer feedback through surveys, support tickets, and public roadmaps to ensure you’re building what users want.
- Balance short-term wins with long-term growth features to create continuous improvement while keeping your long-term vision in mind.
- Create a product roadmap to keep your team aligned and your users informed about upcoming features.
Final Thought:
Prioritizing features is a crucial aspect of bootstrapping your SaaS. By focusing on features that solve core pain points, using structured frameworks like MoSCoW or RICE, and leveraging customer feedback, you can ensure that your product development efforts are aligned with both user needs and long-term business goals.