Customer Feature Requests Are Not Your To-Do List
Learn how to balance customer demands with your product vision, focusing on the features that truly matter.
👋 Hey, Sam here! Welcome back to The Product Trench. Every other Wednesday, I cut through the noise to share actionable insights, no-nonsense advice, and stories related to product management and leadership. Occasionally, I share hot takes on topics that get me fired up.
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The first time I opened our "feature requests" backlog, it felt like peeking into a junk drawer. There was everything from "add a dark mode" to "custom renaming of API parameters on the fly"—a request that screamed, "We don't want to update our code, so please do it for us." At first glance, it seemed like a goldmine of ideas, but it didn't take long to realize it was also a minefield. The volume and variety were overwhelming, and it became clear that not every suggestion was a path worth following.
Feature requests come at you from every direction—customers, sales teams, even your boss's cousin's neighbour with an idea they're sure will be a game-changer. Some are great, others less so. But treating every request as a promise is a fast track to feature factory territory: building endlessly with no clear direction. Prioritize everything, and you end up prioritizing nothing, leaving your product bloated and unfocused.
Feedback: Signal or Noise?
Feature requests aren't just a to-do list; they're a roadmap of what people think your product should be. That duality is both valuable and risky. On one hand, they can highlight genuine gaps or shifts in the market. On the other, not all feedback is created equal. Distinguishing between actionable insights and distracting noise is key—sometimes, what glitters isn't gold.
Here's a simple way to filter requests effectively:
Who's asking? Is this feedback coming from your core persona, or is it an edge case? For example, a top-tier customer asking for a reporting tool may represent broader business needs, whereas an occasional user's niche request might have limited applicability.
What's the real problem? The request ("I need X feature") is often a symptom, not the actual issue. For instance, a request for a "dashboard export" might reveal a deeper need for better on-screen data visualization. Understanding the underlying challenge ensures you're solving the right problem, not just slapping a band-aid on the surface.
What's the workaround? If customers are already finding creative solutions, it might signal the problem isn't as urgent as it seems. For example, if users manually compile data in spreadsheets, it's an opportunity to refine your export feature, but perhaps not a priority compared to other gaps.
Turning Chaos into Clarity
To avoid drowning in requests, you need to organize feedback effectively and establish a process for triaging. Tagging, categorizing, or theme-spotting isn't just busywork—it transforms your backlog from a dumping ground into a treasure map, pointing to areas where focus can deliver the most impact.
Step 1: Collect & Organize
Gather feedback from all channels—support tickets, sales calls, social media, and emails.
Categorize requests using clear tags or themes. Tools like Notion, Linear, or even a basic spreadsheet can help.
Example: Your sales team flags recurring complaints about limited reporting options. By tagging these as "reporting," you start seeing a trend across multiple sources.
Step 2: Identify Patterns
Look for recurring problems across customers. Common issues often point to the most impactful opportunities.
Don't just treat the symptom (a feature request); dig for the root cause.
Example: If several customers ask for "custom dashboards," it may reflect a broader need for flexible data visualization tools, not just the requested layout.
Step 3: Validate Problems
Talk to users. Ask why they need it and challenge assumptions. For instance, a request for "multiple shopping carts" might really reflect a need for "save-for-later" functionality or improved user roles.
Organizing requests helps you spot trends, while triage ensures you can methodically decide what to prioritize. This dual approach is the key to turning chaos into actionable insights.
The Art of Saying No
The hardest part is deciding when to act. Sure, your customers want it. But does it actually move the needle for your product? Ask yourself:
Does it align with your current goals?
Is it a distraction from higher-impact priorities?
Is there a solution that solves the core problem but fits better into the roadmap?
Saying no is an art. Imagine prioritizing a roadmap feature designed to improve user retention, but a customer asks for a niche functionality that solves a unique problem. A polite "not now," paired with clear reasoning like, "Thanks for sharing this. Right now, we're focused on X, but we'll keep this in mind as priorities evolve," can help. Communicating effectively ensures customers feel heard, even when the outcome isn't what they hoped for.
Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do. Keeping your focus sharp is what separates successful products from mediocre ones. Every feature added means less focus on something else—and that's a trade-off worth considering carefully. Remember, not all opportunities are opportunities for you.
Exceptions Are (Occasionally) Necessary
Every rule has an exception. Maybe it's compliance-driven (hello, FinTech friends). Maybe it's for your biggest client, and losing them would be catastrophic. These exceptions should be rare, intentional, and well-communicated.
When making an exception, be transparent:
Know the Why: Explain why this exception is being made. Is it to meet regulatory requirements or maintain a key partnership?
Highlight Trade-offs: Clearly communicate what's being deprioritized as a result. For instance, building a niche feature for one whale client might mean delaying a high-impact feature for the broader audience.
Quantify the ROI: Frame the exception as a strategic choice, not a reactive one. If the benefits outweigh the costs, it's worth pursuing—but only if it doesn't become a pattern.
Exceptions are sometimes necessary, but if they become the norm, they risk derailing your vision and burning out your team. Use them sparingly and always with clarity around the consequences.
Closing the Feedback Loop
The unsung hero of managing feature requests is communication. Internally, your team needs to understand why you're prioritizing or passing on a request and how those choices align with broader goals. Externally, customers deserve acknowledgment. For example: "We love this idea, but right now, we're focused on X. Let's revisit this later." Acknowledging feedback, even when you can't act on it, builds trust and stronger relationships.
Transparency also extends to showing your process. Public roadmaps can help communicate focus areas without overcommitting. They're especially useful for showing customers where their requests fit (or don't) in your plans. To balance transparency with flexibility, focus on sharing themes or priorities rather than specific timelines or features. This approach sets expectations while leaving room to adapt to changing needs. Just be sure these roadmaps are realistic; overpromising is worse than saying nothing at all.
Internally, emphasize alignment. Teams need clarity on the trade-offs being made and how decisions connect to the overall strategy. This helps ensure everyone works toward shared objectives and understands the downstream effects of prioritization choices.
The ultimate goal of communication is alignment—ensuring your team knows the "why" behind your decisions and your customers feel valued, even when their specific requests don't make the cut.
Final Takeaways
Feature requests are feedback—clues about what your users need—not orders to fulfill. To make the most of them:
Dig deeper to uncover the root problem behind each request.
Build a structured process to collect, validate, and prioritize ideas without losing sight of your goals.
Be transparent about exceptions; make them rare and intentional.
Use your roadmap to communicate your priorities and show stakeholders that their input matters, even if it doesn't lead to immediate action.
Ultimately, success isn't about shipping every feature. It's about delivering meaningful solutions that solve the right problems for the right people. By staying true to your product vision and embracing focus, you ensure every decision drives a lasting impact. The path to a great product lies in saying no as much as in saying yes.
This is the last post of 2024 before taking a writing break for the holidays. Thank you for all of your support this year and I’ll be back in your inboxes in January!
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— Sam ✌️