Feature Prioritization for VIP Customers: A Framework for Product Managers
Facing dilemmas in feature prioritization is a common challenge for Product Managers. In this blog, we tackle how to handle a situation where two VIP customers are requesting different features, and direct communication is not an option. Let’s dive into strategizing which feature to prioritize.
Choosing a Framework
For feature selection, we can use the RICE scoring model (Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort) to prioritize tasks based on objective criteria.
Step-by-Step Framework Application
Applying RICE to our scenario involves:
- Reach: Assess how many customers each feature will affect within a given timeframe.
- Impact: Determine the significance of the change to users.
- Confidence: Evaluate how confident you are in your estimations of Reach and Impact.
- Effort: Estimate the amount of work required by the product and development team.
Hypothetical Examples and Fact Checks
Let’s assume VIP Customer A asks for a security feature that impacts 60% of the user base, resulting in a high-impact score. VIP Customer B requests an accessibility feature, affecting 30% but is a regulatory requirement. Assuming high confidence scores for both, if the security feature requires less effort, it might be prioritized unless compliance concerns with the accessibility feature override the decision.
Justifying your choices with market research stats or regulatory insights would be a good fact-checking practice in this scenario.
Communication Tips
When articulating your decision during the interview:
- Clearly explain the reasoning behind each RICE component.
- Discuss the interplay between the features and how you strive for balance.
- Convey empathy for both customer needs, confirming all perspectives are valued.
- Avoid biased language towards either feature, remain neutral and data-driven.
Conclusion
Concluding, selecting product features for VIP customers requires a delicate balance of user needs and business strategy. Using a structured framework like RICE empowers PMs to make informed, objective, and justified decisions, a critical skill to demonstrate in an interview setting. Regularly exercise this framework on different product decisions to hone your prioritization acumen.