What to build next

While building a product, deciding whether to build something is very important.

Deciding not to build something can be just as important.

Deciding whether to build something is the first step

We posed several questions before deciding that we were going to build something:

• Are we building something that will accomplish a particular end goal, or do we just want it?

  The tech and business roadmaps must always stay in sync.

• What harm can it do?

  Can the initiative actively harm already existing and successful ones? Sometimes the answer to this is yes, but the long-term benefits would be worth it.

• How long before it can pay off?

  How long before the initiative starts moving the metrics we want it to move?

• Will it move the metrics that matter?

  Consider the entirety of the impact of the new initiative, and see all the possible metrics that might be affected. Then, gauge whether the primary effect will be desirable.

• How do the answers to these questions for other planned initiatives compare?

  If another initiative provides better answers, it should take priority.

Any initiative with unsatisfactory answers to these questions should not be done at that time or even /at all.