Stuck in a Feature Factory?
- Peter Nush
- Aug 4
- 3 min read
Product development teams love to ship. The dopamine rush of pushing code, checking a box, and seeing something new in production is real. But somewhere along the way, many teams fall into a trap:
They become feature factories, pumping out updates without a clear understanding of whether they’re solving real problems, driving outcomes, or creating long-term value. The desire for the next release overwhelms the original product vision.
This is the tension between feature delivery and customer-centricity, and it’s one of the most important leadership challenges in product today. And it has been for a long time.
What Is a Feature Factory, Really?
A “feature factory” is a product team that:
Focuses heavily on output: number of features, velocity, launches.
Measures success by what ships, not what changes.
Responds reactively to internal stakeholders or customer requests.
Lacks visibility into whether users adopt or benefit from what’s built.
It’s not always the team’s fault. Often, incentives, culture, and leadership pressure reward visible activity over meaningful outcomes.
But over time, this approach leads to:
Bloated products with unused features.
Burnt-out teams with unclear purpose.
Disconnected customers who don’t feel understood.
What Does Customer-Centricity Really Mean?
Being “customer-centric” doesn’t mean building everything customers ask for. It means building the right things for the right reasons, grounded in deep understanding of user needs and behaviors.
Customer-centric teams:
Start with customer problems, not features.
Validate assumptions through research and data.
Prioritize value creation over volume.
Measure success based on customer and business outcomes.
It’s not always glamorous or fast. But it creates real impact, and earns long-term trust from both users and stakeholders.
How to Know If You’re Stuck in the Feature Factory
Ask yourself and your team:
Do we know how recent features are performing? Are they solving the problems they were meant to?
When was the last time we said “no” to a request, even from a powerful stakeholder?
Are our priorities driven by a clear product strategy or a queue of requests?
Do we spend more time building than learning?
If your answers lean toward delivery without reflection, you may be stuck in the cycle.
How Product Leaders Can Break the Cycle
Here are five ways to lead your team toward deeper customer focus and product impact:
1. Shift the Conversation from Output to Outcomes
Make it a habit to ask:
“What are we trying to change for the customer or the business?”
Push your team (and your stakeholders) to define success in terms of behavior, engagement, or value, not just “getting it out the door.”
Examples:
Instead of “We launched a new dashboard,” say “We reduced customer time-to-insight by 40%.”
Instead of “We built a new filter,” say “We helped users find relevant content 3x faster.”
2. Anchor Roadmaps in Problems, Not Features
Rather than listing features or solutions, structure your roadmap around customer problems, jobs to be done, or outcome areas.
This creates space for discovery, experimentation, and iteration, rather than just ticking off boxes.
A “problem-first” roadmap earns more credibility with stakeholders and gives teams autonomy to find the best path forward.
3. Create Space for Learning, Not Just Shipping
A healthy product culture invests in research, experimentation, and reflection.
That means:
Running discovery interviews and usability tests regularly.
Looking at adoption and usage data post-launch.
Creating feedback loops between product, design, support, and customer success.
Make learning a visible part of your team’s process and not an afterthought.
For more: The books "Groundwork" and "Continuous Discovery Habits" are solid foundations for the work needed to ensure you are understanding your customers and what they need from your products.
4. Be a Shield and a Translator
Many teams become feature factories because of pressure from sales, marketing, or executives. It’s your job as a product leader to:
Say “no” or “not yet” when needed.
Translate requests into the underlying problems.
Advocate for focus and strategic alignment.
You can be collaborative and discerning. That’s the essence of product leadership.
5. Celebrate Impact, Not Just Activity
What you recognize and reward shapes behavior.
Celebrate when:
A team kills a low-impact feature based on data.
Research insights lead to a course correction.
A small change drives a meaningful user outcome.
Let your team know that thinking, learning, and focusing matter just as much as building.
For more: Another book recommendation I have on this topic is "Escaping The Build Trap."
Final Thought: Ship Less, Matter More
Great product teams don’t win by building the most. They win by building what matters: intentionally, iteratively, and in service of real people.
If you’re feeling stuck in the feature factory, know this: it’s not about working harder. It’s about leading differently.
With the right mindset, systems, and support, you can create a culture where product work is not just productive — but profoundly impactful.
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