

Perfection By Subtraction – The Minimum Feature Set - nathanh
http://steveblank.com/2010/03/04/perfection-by-subtraction-the-minimum-feature-set/

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nicholas483
I agree with most of this article, down to the part about having a public
18-36 month plan. To me it sounds too obligatory. Now you are on the hook to
deliver things that may change over the course of time. I know Earlyvangelists
are supposed to understand the vision is "subject to change", but it's much
easier to assume they are okay with it in theory. I find them much less
forgiving in practice.

We've never announced a feature unless we know the day it will deploy. That
way we meet or exceed customer expectations 100% of the time. Sure, we might
have an idea of where the app is headed in three years, but we don't share it
with customers because it will change.

When we say we're going to do something and change our mind later I think it
makes the company look bad, even if it's the right decision.

We're at a point where my company is trying to get out of client work 100%. To
me, selling features of a product to a company and telling them I will deliver
in 18-36 months puts me right back in the client business. No thanks.

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idoh
I agree that it is bad to preannounce specific features, but you've misread
the article. What the article advises is to share is a one page "product
vision or roadmap". I'd imagine that this one-page lays out what the problem
space is, and generally what the approach is.

