Validation Interviews
Validating Feature Prioritization Through Trade-Off Interviews
This prompt helps teams design interviews to validate the prioritization of a feature by exploring user preferences and trade-offs. It focuses on understanding how users value the proposed feature relative to other potential features or existing functionality, guiding decision-making on development priorities.
Responsible:
Product Design
Accountable, Informed or Consulted:
Design, Product, Strategy
THE PREP
Creating effective prompts involves tailoring them with detailed, relevant information and uploading documents that provide the best context. Prompts act as a framework to guide the response, but specificity and customization ensure the most accurate and helpful results. Use these prep tips to get the most out of this prompt:
Define the proposed feature and a list of other comparable or competing features.
Identify the primary user personas and recruit participants for interviews.
Prepare visual aids or prototypes to facilitate trade-off discussions.
THE PROMPT
Help design trade-off interviews to validate the prioritization of [specific feature or product idea]. Focus on:
Feature Comparisons: Asking participants to rank or compare the proposed feature against other existing or planned features.
Value Assessment: Exploring how users perceive the feature’s importance in achieving their goals or solving pain points.
Trade-Off Scenarios: Presenting hypothetical situations where users must choose between different features or functionality.
Adoption Barriers: Identifying potential obstacles, such as complexity, learning curve, or perceived irrelevance.
Actionable Insights: Capturing feedback on how to refine or reprioritize the feature based on user needs and preferences.
Provide specific recommendations for structuring the interviews, including tools for interactive ranking or decision-making (e.g., card sorting, prioritization matrices). If additional details about the feature set, audience, or competing priorities are needed, ask clarifying questions to refine the suggestions.
Bonus Add-On Prompts
Propose ways to structure interviews to identify the highest-value features for specific user segments.
Suggest methods to validate trade-offs between functionality and ease of use during prioritization interviews.
Highlight strategies for synthesizing trade-off feedback to guide roadmap decisions.
Use AI responsibly by verifying its outputs, as it may occasionally generate inaccurate or incomplete information. Treat AI as a tool to support your decision-making, ensuring human oversight and professional judgment for critical or sensitive use cases.
SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE
Focus on specific contexts, such as prioritizing features for first-time users or advanced users.
Include questions about willingness to pay for higher-priority features.
Propose methods to validate trade-offs in highly competitive markets.
Highlight tools for conducting remote prioritization exercises.
Add options for group interviews to explore diverse perspectives dynamically.
WHEN TO USE
To validate feature importance and alignment with user priorities.
During roadmap planning to determine which features should be developed first.
When comparing multiple feature concepts and seeking user input on trade-offs.
WHEN NOT TO USE
If only one feature is under consideration, with no competing priorities.
When focusing on technical feasibility rather than user value.