How to make tough choices: Prioritizing features for MVP Success without sacrificing quality

Thomas Renon
Jan 16
5 min read

Updated: Jan 24

So, you've decided to jump into the exciting world of product management. That's fantastic! This field is all about transforming an idea into a product that users will genuinely appreciate. However, when it comes to launching a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), you will face difficult decisions. Often, some features' quality must take a backseat to meet launch dates and market demands.

Finding the right balance between what to include in your MVP and what to leave out can feel like a balancing act. But don’t worry! In this post, we’ll look at practical tips to prioritize features that ensure your MVP stands out without compromising quality.

Understanding the MVP

First, let’s define what an MVP is. A Minimum Viable Product is a version of your product that includes only the most essential features needed to engage early users. The main goal is to launch quickly while learning from user feedback to refine the product.

Creating a successful MVP is like baking a cake. You want to include just the right ingredients for a delicious result. If you add everything available in the kitchen, the outcome might be a disaster. Finding that perfect balance is crucial, so let's discuss practical strategies for prioritizing features effectively.

Know your users like it’s second nature

Understanding your target users is essential. Discover their needs, problems, and frustrations. If you can learn what they truly value, you will be ahead in determining which features will be the most impactful.

Create user personas: Spend time developing profiles of your ideal users. Consider their daily lives and the problems they seek to solve. For example, if your product is a fitness app, create a persona of a busy mom who wants to exercise at home.
Conduct user interviews: Connect with potential users and ask about their experiences and needs. For example, user feedback from an app developed for grocery shopping revealed that the ability to create shopping lists was crucial for saving time.
Map out user journeys: Understanding user interactions with your product can help you identify essential features. If users constantly drop out at the payment step, that feature needs attention.

Knowing your users does more than help build your MVP. It lays the foundation for a product that genuinely resonates with your audience.

Collaborate with your team

Product management is ultimately a team effort. Gather insights from all team members, including marketing, engineering, and design. Organize workshops to spark creativity and shared understanding.

Encourage discussions about:

What can realistically be achieved within your timeline?
How do various features align with your business goals?

This cross-functional approach ensures that valuable perspectives are considered, creating a well-rounded MVP that meets both user needs and business objectives.

Feature prioritization frameworks

After gathering insights from your team and understanding your users’ needs, it’s time to prioritize. Here are two effective frameworks to help you make tough choices:

MoSCoW Method

The MoSCoW method classifies features into four categories:

Must have: Non-negotiable features essential for launch. For example, a social media app must have user registration and a news feed to function.
Should have: Important features that enhance the product but can be added later. This could include user tagging in posts.
Could have: Nice-to-have features that add value but aren’t essential at this stage. For instance, fun filters for photos could fall into this category.
Won't have: Features that can wait until after the MVP launch, like advanced analytics for user engagement.

This framework helps narrow your focus and clarify what truly matters.

Kano Model

The Kano Model assesses how different features contribute to user satisfaction. It sorts features into five categories:

Basic Needs: Must-have features that users expect, like search functionality in a shopping app.
Performance Needs: Features that enhance satisfaction as they are improved, for instance, faster loading times for a website.
Excitement Needs: Features that delight users but aren’t initially expected, such as a surprise discount at checkout.
Indifferent Needs: Features that don’t significantly impact satisfaction, like a particular colour scheme.
Reverse Needs: Features that could frustrate users, such as mandatory registration before viewing content.

Using these frameworks will clarify your priorities and facilitate communication with your team.

Focus on core value propositions

Ask yourself, "What unique value does my product provide?" This question should be central to your MVP. If a feature does not contribute to this core value, it may be best to remove it.

Lean into your unique selling proposition (USP): Determine the primary problem your product solves. For example, a meditation app’s main problem-solving feature might be guided sessions focused on anxiety reduction.
Refer back to your user research: The data you've collected should guide your decisions.

By concentrating on your product’s core value, you’ll create a focused MVP that resonates with your users, making future adaptations easier.

Keep the technical debt in mind

Launching quickly does not mean sacrificing quality. While it might require dropping some features, be mindful of introducing technical debt – the shortcuts and hacks that may haunt you later.

Be realistic about quality: Sometimes, it’s better to launch later with a polished product than to rush an MVP with issues.
Plan to address technical debt: Ensure your team has a strategy for managing technical debt in future iterations.

The aim is to ensure your MVP does not only shine at launch but also sets the stage for future versions to be equally successful.

Test, validate, and iterate

Once your MVP is ready, remember, your work isn’t complete. Testing is vital. Gather data on how users interact with your product.

Use analytics and user feedback: Gather insights on usage statistics, such as how many users complete key tasks in your app. This data could reveal that 70% of users drop off during account creation.
Conduct A/B testing: Experiment with different features to see what users prefer. For instance, a different button color might increase click-through rates by 15%.
Be willing to pivot: Based on user feedback, refine or modify features as needed.

Testing and validating your MVP will not only help refine your product but also build strong relationships with users by demonstrating that their experience matters to you.

Engage stakeholders effectively

Keeping stakeholders informed is crucial. Upper management, investors, and team members want to feel involved in the process.

Share your feature prioritization outcomes: Clearly communicate the reasoning behind your choices.
Create visual roadmaps: A visual timeline can enhance understanding and support.
Be open to feedback: Maintain transparency while standing firm on your vision.

Good communication with stakeholders fosters better alignment and support for your product journey.

Close-up of a decision-making process with written priorities on sticky notes.

Wrapping up

Navigating product management and feature prioritization can be difficult, especially when working to achieve MVP success without compromising quality. By deeply understanding your users, collaborating with your team, and keeping focused on your product’s core value, you can make challenging choices that lead to both an effective launch and a solid foundation for future growth.

Remember, your MVP is only the starting point – it's about creating something that resonates with your users. By staying goal-oriented and using effective prioritization frameworks, you will craft a successful product. Quality does not have to be sacrificed; with the right strategies, product management can be both creative and fulfilling!

So get out there and make those tough choices with confidence! Your users are excited for what’s next.