Chapter 9: Get comfortable killing a feature

Paul AdamsOct 26, 20175 key advice

Feature creep comes at a high cost, which is why you must get comfortable killing a feature. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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Key Advice from this Episode

PrioritizationMid

Learn to kill features without emotional attachment. If a feature doesn't generate measurable value for the user or the business, removing it frees up resources to build what actually matters.

Get comfortable killing a feature

MetricsMid

Measure a feature's success by outcomes (impact on business and user metrics), not by outputs (deliverables or launches).

If you can't measure the impact, you can't justify keeping it

StakeholdersSenior

Communicate feature removal decisions with transparency and empathy toward affected users, offering alternatives or migration paths.

Killing a feature is also about how you communicate it

PrioritizationSenior

Conduct regular feature audits to identify candidates for removal based on usage, maintenance cost, and strategic alignment.

You need a systematic way to review what's in your product

CareerJunior

Develop the ability to say no as a core PM competency. Every yes to a mediocre feature is an implicit no to higher-impact opportunities.

Saying no is the most important skill in product management