intermediate · 90–90 min

How to Stop Building Features Nobody Uses in 90 Minutes

Building things that sit on the shelf? Align your team on user value and prune the backlogs effectively.

About this session

Most product backlogs are cluttered with legacy requests and 'nice-to-have' ideas that never actually gain traction with users. This 90-minute session forces your team to interrogate every feature against real-world value, ensuring engineering effort is spent only on problems worth solving. You will leave with a lean, defensible roadmap and a team that understands exactly why certain items were cut.

Why it works

The structure replaces subjective opinions with a shared, rigorous criteria for user value, making it difficult for 'pet projects' to survive without evidence. By using a time-boxed evaluation process, the session prevents circular debates and forces participants to make the hard trade-offs necessary to prune a bloated backlog.

What you’ll walk away with

  • Clear actionable outcomes from a 3-step facilitated process
  • Increased participant engagement and buy-in
  • Documented decisions and next steps
  • Improved team alignment on the topic

Who it’s for

Product Managers, Product Owners

Frequently asked questions

Who should facilitate this workshop?

This workshop works best when led by someone comfortable with facilitation. Ideal for Product Managers or external facilitators working with product management teams.

How long does this workshop take?

Plan for 60-90 minutes depending on group size. The 3 activities are designed to flow together smoothly.

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