Product
What is Feature Creep?
Feature creep is when a product keeps adding features beyond the original scope. It leads to delays, bloated products, and losing focus on core value.
Definition
Feature creep (also called scope creep) is the gradual expansion of a product's features beyond the original plan. It often happens when stakeholders keep adding nice-to-have features during development, each seeming small individually but collectively delaying launch and diluting focus. The result is products that try to do everything but excel at nothing. Preventing feature creep requires clear prioritization and saying no to non-essential features.
Key Points
- Each added feature seems small but they accumulate
- Leads to delayed launches and budget overruns
- Results in bloated, unfocused products
- Prevention requires clear priorities and scope discipline
- Common in MVPs when founders want just one more thing
Examples
- 1.Adding social features to a simple note-taking app
- 2.Building admin tools before validating core user value
- 3.Implementing edge cases that affect 1% of users
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Terms
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