Why Feature Copying Could Sink Your Product
When building software, it’s common to look at competitors to understand industry trends. However, simply copying your competitor’s features can lead to a dangerous trap known as “featuritis”—an obsession with adding features for the sake of it.
The Unknown
The two biggest risks of matching competitors feature-for-feature are:
- It doesn’t make your product unique.
- You have no way of knowing if the feature actually provides value.
Why Uniqueness Matters
If your product only mirrors what competitors offer, you’re essentially offering the same thing they are. At that point, you’re competing purely on price or marketing, which is a tough place to be.
Instead, focus on features that make your product stand out. These unique aspects are what will set you apart in the market.
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
When looking at a competitor’s features, you’re missing crucial context. Some key questions you can’t answer are:
- How much are customers really using this feature?
- How long did it take to build?
- How well supported is it by the company?
- Does it impact performance?
- How much ongoing maintenance does it require?
Without this information, it’s impossible to evaluate the feature’s real value or the potential burden it places on your team.
Rather than simply following competitors, a better approach is to talk to your customers. They’ll give you direct insight into what they need, allowing you to innovate based on real value rather than assumptions.