We have clients lined up waiting for feature X

I’ve heard this claim countless times, often on small teams lacking product management. Sales insist that just one more feature will make clients throw money at the product. Often, the technical team lacks the leverage to challenge this assumption or simply wants to build stuff.

When the feature fails to deliver as expected, the pressure often shifts to the technical team. Suddenly, the excuses roll in:

• “Sure, we have the feature, but it’s missing a key part.”
• “It’s still rough around the edges—people will love it once polished.”

All signs point to a hard truth: the feature stakeholders thought was critical might not solve an actual problem at all. So, what’s the right move when someone claims a feature is the game-changer? As a technical leader, it's: “Let's talk to the people who need it.”

You will be met with resistance, and will hear that's a waste of time. But you will be surprised how often this “must-have” feature stems from a stakeholder’s gut feeling, instead of real customer insights. Prioritization can drift into guesswork, especially in smaller teams without a dedicated product manager.

Avoid the build trap. Validate claims, engage with users and customers, and ensure you’re solving the right problems.