Adding a Feature Isn’t the Same as Improving Your Product
Key Summary
- Adding features ≠ improving the product: Simply adding new features does not lead to UX/UI improvement or growth and may damage the core value and experience of existing users.
- The importance of asking the right question: Instead of asking “Can we build this?” or “Should we follow a competitor?”, ask “Does this belong here?”—whether it fits naturally into the existing user flow and context.
- Extending existing user workflows: A new feature should extend the flows users already rely on rather than force them to adopt an entirely new mental model.
- The risk of competitor-reactive development: Copying a feature simply because a competitor launched it creates the “Swiss Army Knife” problem: many features, but none that work especially well.
Case Analysis
- Failure case (LinkedIn Stories): Introduced in 2020 during the Lens/Stories trend, it was discontinued in 2021 because it did not fit the context of a professional networking product.
- Success case (SBTi Emissions Reduction Target Dashboard): By focusing on one core task—helping companies understand their carbon-emissions data—it became an efficient tool that more than 13,000 companies could use immediately without separate training.
Validation and Launch Strategy
- Validate the idea before development: Use flow diagrams, fake door tests, and concierge MVPs to determine whether the feature is genuinely needed.
- Validate the execution after development: Use tree testing, user usability testing, and retention measurement with a control group to confirm that the feature does not disrupt the user experience.
