Deliver Features, Not Stories: Value Beats Productivity Every Time

Written by Jörgen Karlsson, Dec 3, 2024
#Agile #Agile Tips #Product Owner #Product Management

Imagine this: Your team just completed a sprint—15 stories delivered, velocity through the roof. But in the sprint review, stakeholders ask the one question that matters: “Are you getting results?” The answer? No. The features aren’t usable, the value isn’t visible or measurable. And worse—your product doesn’t even feel that important. Sound familiar?

Or maybe you’ve spent days struggling to slice a story small enough to fit into a sprint while still delivering “customer value.” Why is it so hard to bridge the gap between effort and outcomes?

A man pointing at the screen. IN big black letters showing 'Are You Getting Results?'

Here’s the hard truth: Stories are tools, not the destination. The goal isn’t to deliver stories; it’s to deliver value. But focusing solely on features is no better if those features don’t solve real problems. Welcome to the world of feature factories—where output is everything, and outcomes are an afterthought.

Stories Are Dead Ends Without Features

Stories break down work, but let’s not kid ourselves—they’re stepping stones. Completing stories doesn’t guarantee value. Your users don’t care about the backend validations or polished UIs—they care about features that solve their problems.

Features are what users experience. They’re the solutions that deliver outcomes, not just activity. While stories disappear the moment they’re done, features live on as part of your product, driving satisfaction and business success.

Beware the Feature Factory

Being busy isn’t the same as being effective. A feature factory churns out feature after feature without asking:

  • Does this solve a real customer problem?
  • Does it create measurable business value?
  • Will anyone care?
  • Is this feature for my product really the most important thing for the complete business right now?

The result? Bloated products, wasted effort, and teams spinning their wheels on outputs instead of outcomes. Worst of all, feature factories rarely measure success. They deliver what’s asked, not what’s needed, leaving opportunities for improvement on the table.

How to Deliver Value, Not Just Features

  1. Start with the Problem: Stop building what customers say they want. Focus on understanding their problems.
  2. Validate Ruthlessly: Prototypes, experiments, and user feedback are your best friends. Don’t code until you know it’s worth coding.
  3. Define Success Upfront: What’s the outcome? Increased engagement, higher retention, lower churn? If you can’t measure it, don’t build it.
  4. Use Story Mapping: Map user journeys to identify the Minimal Marketable Feature (MMF)—the smallest slice of value that solves a user problem and drives outcomes.

The Shift from Outputs to Outcomes

Agile isn’t about completing stories or checking off features—it’s about creating impact. A story doesn’t matter unless it supports a feature, and a feature doesn’t matter unless it solves a problem.

So, ask yourself:

  • Are we building for activity or impact?
  • Do we measure success by what we deliver or by what we achieve?

Deliver fewer features. Solve bigger problems. Drive real outcomes. The difference isn’t just better Agile—it’s a better product, a better business, and a better experience for your users.

Last updated Dec 17, 2024