Feature Scoping Skill

Make disciplined product decisions about whether a feature belongs in MVP or later iterations, using 7 proven frameworks.

When to Use

• User says /scope, "should we include X in MVP?", "scope this feature", "MVP or later?"
• Any feature prioritization decision for a new or existing product
• Choosing between "build it now" vs "build it later" for a specific capability

Step 1: Gather Context

Use AskUserQuestion to collect:

1. Feature description — What's the feature? What would it do?
2. Product context — What product is this for? What's the core product hypothesis? (If a PRD exists, read it)
3. Current user flow — How long is the current user journey? (minutes, steps, etc.)
4. Why it's being considered — What triggered this question? (user request, competitor has it, founder wants it)

If a PRD or product doc exists, read it first to understand the product context.

Step 2: Apply 7 Frameworks

Analyze the feature through each framework. Present results as a clear table.

Framework 1: Lean Startup — Hypothesis Test

Question: Does this feature help test the core product hypothesis?

Framework 2: Jobs-to-be-Done

Question: Is this the job the user hired the product for?

• What's the primary job-to-be-done?
• Does this feature serve the primary job, a secondary job, or a different job entirely?
• Would users feel the product is incomplete without it?

Framework 3: RICE Scoring

Score the feature:

RICE Score = (Reach x Impact x Confidence) / Effort

Framework 4: Flow Length Analysis

Question: How much time does this add to the user journey?

Rules of thumb:

• Every additional minute in a flow loses ~3-5% of users
• Flows over 15 minutes need save/resume
• Flows over 30 minutes need very strong motivation

Framework 5: Core Hypothesis Test

Question: What's the #1 assumption this product needs to validate?

• State the core hypothesis explicitly
• Does this feature help prove or disprove it?
• If the hypothesis fails, does this feature still have value?
• Could we validate the hypothesis WITHOUT this feature?

Framework 6: Natural Emergence

Question: Does this feature emerge organically from existing features?

If a feature can be captured passively or naturally, it costs almost nothing to include. If it requires a dedicated flow, the cost is real.

Framework 7: Differentiation Value

Question: Does this strengthen or dilute our competitive edge?

• What's our #1 differentiator? (from competitive analysis if available)
• Does this feature reinforce that differentiator or spread focus?
• Do competitors already do this well? (if so, it's table stakes, not differentiation)
• Would removing this feature make our positioning weaker?

Step 3: Synthesize Decision

Combine all 7 frameworks into a decision:

Step 4: Present Decision

Format the output as:

Decision: [Feature Name]

Verdict: [MVP / V1.5 / V2 / Never]

Score: [X]/7 frameworks support MVP

Phased Approach

If Not MVP — Passive Alternative

If the verdict is V1.5 or later, always suggest a passive/lightweight alternative that captures some value with zero extra user flow time. Examples:

• AI detects patterns during existing conversation instead of asking directly
• Collect metadata passively from user behavior
• Offer as optional post-completion add-on
• Surface through existing UI without dedicated section

Step 5: Save Output

Save to the project folder if one exists, or present inline.

Tips from Experience

• The biggest risk is usually flow length — adding 10 min to a 20 min flow is fatal
• "Passive capture" is the secret weapon — many features can be included at near-zero cost if you don't try to do them perfectly
• Core hypothesis is the tiebreaker — when frameworks disagree, always defer to "does this help test the core hypothesis?"
• Competitors having a feature doesn't mean you need it — it might be table stakes, or it might be their differentiator (not yours)
• V1.5 is often the right answer — not MVP, not V2, but a lightweight version that captures 60% of the value at 10% of the cost