What No One Tells You About Dealing with Feature Requests as a Founder

As a founder, one of the best feelings in the world is seeing people actually use your product. But right after that high comes a flood of feature requests. Customers, friends, even your own team will start pitching ideas:

• "Can you add this?"
• "What if it did that?"
• "It would be perfect if only..."

At first, it feels great. People care enough to suggest improvements! But then reality kicks in—you can’t build everything. Every ‘quick feature’ adds complexity, costs time, and risks turning your product into a Frankenstein of mismatched ideas.

So how do you handle feature requests without losing your mind (or your product vision)? After working with several SaaS founders and building software products myself, I’ve learned a few hard but valuable lessons.

1. Not Every Feature Request is Equal

When you’re small, every user’s voice feels important. But if you try to implement every request, you’ll end up building a product that pleases no one. Instead, categorize feature requests into these buckets:

The Three Types of Feature Requests

Must-Haves: Features that solve a core problem or remove major friction.
Nice-to-Haves: Features that make things more convenient but aren’t dealbreakers.
Distractions: Requests that seem cool but don’t align with your vision.
How to Prioritize Effectively

One simple trick: When a feature request comes in, ask the user, “Would you pay more for this?” If they hesitate, it’s probably a nice-to-have, not a must-have.

Another approach is the RICE Scoring Model (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort):

• Reach: How many users will benefit from it?
• Impact: How significant is the improvement?
• Confidence: How sure are you about its value?
• Effort: How long will it take to build?

2. The “Loudest” Customers Aren’t Always Right

A few vocal users will push hard for specific features. But just because they’re the loudest doesn’t mean they represent the majority.

Data-Driven Decision Making

A study by UserVoice found that only 1 in 5 feature requests actually improve customer retention. Meaning, 80% of what users ask for doesn’t actually make them stick around longer.

Look for patterns:

• If one person asks for something, it’s an opinion.
• If ten people ask for the same thing independently, it’s a need.
• If paying customers ask for it, pay extra attention.

3. Customers Think in Solutions, Not Problems

Users will often say, “I need X feature.” But what they really mean is, “I have X problem.”

Your job is to dig deeper.

How to Uncover the Real Problem

Instead of blindly adding features, ask follow-up questions:

• What’s the actual problem?
• How are you solving it today?
• If we didn’t build this, how would you work around it?
  For example, when working with SaaS founders on no-code platforms like Fuzen.io, I’ve seen many users ask for direct integrations. But when we dig deeper, we often find that a simple API or Zapier connection solves 90% of their needs without custom development.

4. Saying “No” (Without Losing Customers)

Rejecting a feature request is tricky. You don’t want to alienate users, but you also can’t build everything.

How to Politely Say No

• Be transparent: “We totally see how that would be useful, but it’s not on our roadmap right now.”
• Offer workarounds: “You might be able to achieve this using [existing feature].”
• Keep them engaged: “We’re focusing on [current priority] right now, but I’ll reach out if anything changes.”
  Most users just want to be heard. A good response goes a long way.

5. Feature Creep is a Silent Killer

Every feature adds maintenance costs, complexity, and potential bugs. The more you add, the harder it is to pivot.

Slack’s CEO, Stewart Butterfield, once said:

"Every feature you add now is one you’ll have to support forever. Be careful what you commit to."

A bloated product leads to:

Slower development speed
Higher support costs
Confusing user experience
The best products often say “no” more than they say “yes.”

6. Your Early Vision Matters More Than You Think

In the early days, your product is like a tree sapling—small, fragile, and growing in a specific direction. If you let feature requests pull it in every direction, it won’t grow strong.

Examples of Startups That Ignored Feature Requests

Some of the most successful SaaS companies ignored feature requests to stay true to their vision:

• Basecamp rejected many traditional project management features to keep things simple.
• Superhuman ignored requests for mobile apps until they perfected their desktop experience.
• Notion took years to introduce an API, despite constant requests.
  They played the long game. And it worked.

7. The Power of a Public Roadmap

Apublic roadmap can help manage expectations and reduce repeated feature requests. Tools like Trello, Notion, or Canny allow users to:

• See what’s coming next
• Vote on features
• Understand priorities
  This also helps users feel involved without overwhelming your inbox with the same requests.

Final Thoughts

Feature requests are a sign of growth. But handling them well is what separates great products from bloated, unfocused ones.

• Prioritize based on data, not the loudest voices.
• Focus on the problem, not just the requested solution.
• Say no (politely) when necessary.
• Protect your product’s vision.
  Building SaaS is a balancing act, and feature requests are part of the journey. Just remember, a great product isn’t built by saying “yes” to everything—it’s built by knowing when to say “no.”

What’s Your Experience?

How do you handle feature requests? Any tough decisions you’ve had to make? Let’s talk in the comments!