Why Are Feature Factories so Bad?

What the heck is a feature factory?

    A feature factory is a term used in product management to describe a process for efficiently discovering, prioritizing, and delivering product features. The goal of a feature factory is to create a well-oiled machine for continuously adding value to the product through new and improved features.

The feature factory process typically involves several steps, such as:

  1. Customer research: Understanding the needs and wants of the target market.
  2. Market analysis: Evaluating the competitive landscape to determine what features are lacking or in high demand.
  3. Prioritization: Deciding which features to develop and in what order, based on the value they will bring to the product and its users.
  4. Development: Designing and building the new features.
  5. Launch: Releasing the new features to the public.

Not so bad right?

    A quick trip to LinkedIn or almost anywhere else product managers are talking, you will quickly see "feature factory" used in derogatory context. I found this to be curious and wanted to understand why there is such distain for the concept. If you do your own research be careful out there, people can get spicy on this topic.

Why is delivering value efficiently and consistently considered bad for products?

Factory A & Factory B

Let's simplify the discussion

Factory A measures success by
  • making enough product to meet demand 
  • ensuring the product meets or exceeds expectations of customers
Factory B measures success by
  • making product based on production quotas
  • compromising quality to meet quotas at times

Which factory do you think is going to win?

    It's not complicated, factory A wins every time. When we measure success with the wrong metrics we become the derogatory "feature factory" all product managers dread. When we measure success and delight our end users, feature factories are awesome but not always necessary.

    Feature factories only make sense when you measure success correctly and have enough demand from your customers. It might make more sense for your team to think of yourself as an artisan collective. High quality, low demand, and a delightful experience for your customers. There is nothing inherently wrong with a feature factory, but it's only right if scale and demand are really there. Product teams can overestimate the demand for new features which is likely why this term has taken on a negative connotation.

Artisan Sculptor Hands

Thanks for learning with me about the dreaded feature factory. 
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