Going from


One to Ten
Figuring out what to build and how...
Today’s talk

0 1 10
 Ideas to build
Customer
feedback

Ideas to say no to
 YES
Build it

Customer
 IMPORTANT?
feedback

Say No
NO
YES

Build it How do you decide

which feedback is
important?
IMPORTANT?
How do you get all the
good ideas built?
How do you say no?
NO Say No
YES

Build it How do you decide

which feedback is
important?
IMPORTANT?
How do you get all
the good ideas built?
How do you say no?
NO Say No
YES

Build it How do you decide

which feedback is
important?
IMPORTANT?
How do you get all the
good ideas built?
How do you say no?
NO Say No
Some practical tips
YES

Build it How do you decide

which feedback is
important?
IMPORTANT?
How do you get all the
good ideas built?
How do you say no?
NO Say No
A magic Prioritization formula?

Reach Impact Confidence

Effort
TIP 1

Seek out the feedback

that’s unheard
7 taps to send feedback!
7 taps to send feedback!

For every piece of

feedback a user
gives you, there
exists 100 more that
are never shared.
DRIVER LUNCHES

“OMG you had

that issue too?
I thought it
was my fault!”
RIDE-ALONGS

“I prefer when
the app
crashes to
when the app
freezes.”
WHATSAPP THREADS

Screenshots and
detailed feedback
TIP 2

Pay special attention to

users’ product hacks
PAGE 1
PAGE 1

PAGE 2
TIP 3

Translate feature requests to

problems (but recognize
features as currency)

User Problem Feature Request

 Alt Solution 1

Alt Solution 2

User Problem Feature Request

Best Solution

Alt Solution 3
Credit: NY Times
Don’t forget,
though, that users
can still use
features as their
currency for
comparison...
TIP 4

User feedback isn’t the

only input
Insights Strategy
INSIGHT TYPES

Existing User Needs Revenue Opportunities Industry Trends

Prospective User Needs Growth Levers Competition

Existing User Behaviors Cost Drivers

Customer Business Macro Environment

Insights Insights Insights
YES

Build it How do you decide

which feedback is
important?
IMPORTANT?
How do you get all
the good ideas built?
How do you say no?
NO Say No
TIP 5

Code isn’t the only

way to build
OPS TOOLs for building

sql
@
@
sql
TIP 6

Your users can

build for you
 · Bullet 1

mispellings · Bullet 2

· Bullet 3

TIP 7

Your competitors can

build for you
YES

Build it How do you decide

which feedback is
important?
IMPORTANT?
How do you get all the
good ideas built?
How do you say no?
NO Say No
JAPANESE ENGLISH

前向きに
 We will
-> optimistically
検討します consider this
JAPANESE ENGLISH ACTUAL

前向きに
 We will
-> optimistically -> Sorry, no
検討します consider this
TIP 8

Don’t be afraid to share

your process sometimes
Treating your customer as...

%
A Stat
Sorry, only 0.01% of
our customers have
your problem...
Treating your customer as...

%
A Stat A King
Brilliant idea. We’ll
go implement it
right away.
Treating your customer as...

% =
A Stat An Equal A King
 BAD

Hey, when are you

building Feature X?

We’re not prioritizing

it at the moment, but
will put it on our
backlog.

OK so how about
Feature Y?

We’re not prioritizing

it at the moment, but
will put it on our
backlog.
 BAD OKAY

Hey, when are you Hey, when are you

building Feature X? building Feature X?

We’re not prioritizing Interesting—tell me a

it at the moment, but bit more about why
will put it on our you want that
backlog. feature...

OK so how about
Feature Y?

We’re not prioritizing Thanks, that’s helpful

it at the moment, but context. We’re not
will put it on our prioritizing it at the
backlog. moment, but will put it
on our backlog.
 BAD OKAY BETTER

Hey, when are you Hey, when are you Hey, when are you
building Feature X? building Feature X? building Feature X?

We’re not prioritizing Interesting—tell me a We’re not planning to

it at the moment, but bit more about why build that right now.
will put it on our you want that But let me share our
backlog. feature... priorities and
framework; would
love your feedback on
OK so how about it.
Feature Y?

I see, oh yeah,
We’re not prioritizing Thanks, that’s helpful definitely prioritize
it at the moment, but context. We’re not that other stuff first...
will put it on our prioritizing it at the
backlog. moment, but will put it
on our backlog.
 PHILOSOPHY

Up-level the
conversation from
individual features

FEATURES
YES

Build it How do you decide

which feedback is
important?
IMPORTANT?
How do you get all
the good ideas built?
How do you say no?
NO Say No