{"id":16605,"date":"2023-10-31T23:59:39","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T20:59:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/?p=16605"},"modified":"2024-10-28T14:14:54","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T11:14:54","slug":"product-features","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/product-features\/","title":{"rendered":"Product Features Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Conceptualizing, building, and implementing new features is a core aspect of a product manager\u2019s job. But striking a balance between feature quantity and product quality is difficult, even when product managers have a clear vision and strategy for the product. Stakeholder expectations, customer demands, and differences of opinion within the team often complicate the development process. So, how do you make the right feature choices, despite these challenges? And why are those choices so critical to product success?<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Our focus here will be on B2B SaaS<\/a> feature development. Bear in mind, though, that most of our advice extends to hardware, e-commerce, and general non-SaaS feature development as well.<\/p>\n\n\n

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What is a product feature?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who\u2019s ever used a digital product before (i.e. the typical modern consumer) has some understanding of what a feature is. But for the purposes of this article, let\u2019s establish a clear definition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A feature is a specific component or capability of a product<\/strong>. It exists to either solve a user need, delight customers, or support the overall functionality of the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feature vs. benefit<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s easy to confuse the concepts of features and benefits \u2013 especially within a product marketing context. But it’s important for product managers (PdMs) not to use these terms interchangeably. So, let’s look at the difference (and connection) between these two concepts:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Types of product features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How can we describe and categorize product features themselves? Let\u2019s explore the types of features commonly found in SaaS products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n