Feature Overload? Not a Prioritization Problem – A Decision Problem at the Company Level.

Feature overload is a daily problem in many companies. I remember a project where I was supposed to implement a feature that just didn't feel right to me. There was no clear benefit and no real customer demand – yet it was at the top of the priority list. The reason? It had been "promised" at some point – not to users, but to investors or influential stakeholders.

I wanted to understand why. So I asked questions:

• Is there evidence that customers need this?

• What happens if we don't implement it?

• Why is it number one when no one can explain what difference it makes?

The answers were evasive. The feature wasn't really wanted – it had just slipped into the roadmap, a compromise of politics, perceived safety, and avoiding difficult decisions. A classic case of "Nobody actively prioritized it, but everyone silently agreed."

And that's exactly the real problem: Feature overload doesn't happen because we can't prioritize. Feature overload happens because we don't dare to make real decisions.

Feature Overload: The Problem Isn't Prioritization – It's the Invisible Structures Behind It.

Many companies believe they have a prioritization problem. They search for better methods, build complicated decision frameworks, or refine their roadmaps. But that doesn't solve the real problem. The backlog isn't full because too many wishes exist – but because nobody dares to consistently say no.

• Features stay in the backlog because nobody has the courage to permanently remove them.

• Tasks slip into the "Priority A" list because nobody wants to take responsibility for "not doing."

• Roadmaps are overcrowded because the political balance must be maintained – not because they're based on real strategy.

A colleague once put it perfectly:

We looked at the warehouse: old forklifts everywhere. Then we introduced a Cassandra database – now we're driving Formula 1 cars around in the warehouse.

Faster, more complex, more expensive.

A sentence that stuck with me.

Avoiding Feature Overload: What Happens When You Create Clarity in Your Product Strategy?

It was one of those projects where everything was done "right." The technology was modern, the architecture scalable, and the feature had its fixed place on the roadmap. But when I looked at the result, I realized: We had solved a problem that never really existed.

The infrastructure was suddenly upgraded, the speed breathtaking – but the processes the system was built for hadn't changed. The old warehouse remained the same. Only now, Formula 1 cars were suddenly driving around in it. Faster. More complex. More expensive.

And that's exactly the point: If you want to get your product strategy under control, you don't just need to sort features – you need to dare to make real decisions.

An overcrowded backlog isn't a sign of too many ideas. It's a sign of a strategy that doesn't clearly define what's really important.

Because sometimes it's not about what gets built next – but whether it should be built at all.

What You Can Do as a PM / PO

As a product manager or product owner, you don't have to make every decision alone – but you have to ensure that decisions actually get made.

• Be the conductor, not the decision-maker: Your job is to bring the right people together and ensure that decisions are made consciously – not out of habit or fear.

• Question assumptions consistently: If a feature has been sitting in the backlog for a long time, don't ask "When do we implement it?" but "Why is it here in the first place?"

• Make the invisible visible: The real problem often isn't the backlog itself, but the structures and dynamics behind it. Address these openly.

Because ultimately, what matters isn't what's on the roadmap – but whether the right things are on it.

From Product Management to Leadership – Where Does Responsibility Lie?

The problem doesn't end with product management – it starts at the company level. Companies with weak decision mechanisms end up in feature overload because they lack clarity about their priorities. Digitalization isn't collecting features – it's the conscious decision for the right thing.

As a leader, you don't have to make every decision yourself – but you have to ensure that your company has functioning decision processes.

• Leadership means clarity. Ask yourself: "Are my teams really making the best decisions – or are they just managing the status quo?"

• Question your decision mechanisms. Are there clear responsibilities for decisions, or do they get lost in operational chaos?

• Consciously set the framework for bold decisions. A company can only be innovative if it consciously doesn't do things.