The Startup Ideas Podcast
The best businesses are built at the intersection of emerging technology, community, and real human needs.
Feature-Based Product Planning
A product planning approach that breaks down products into discrete, testable features rather than describing abstract product concepts
How It Works
Instead of telling AI 'build a car', you specify 'build steering wheel, build engine, build wheels' - each feature can be built independently and tested before moving to the next
Components
Identify core product functionality
Break down into 4-6 discrete features
Define success criteria for each feature
Build features sequentially with tests
Validate each feature before proceeding
When to Use
When planning any software product with AI agents, especially complex applications with multiple components
When Not to Use
For very simple single-feature tools or when doing rapid prototyping that doesn't need production quality
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
Example
“For a TikTok UGC generation app: Feature 1 - Script generation interface, Feature 2 - Avatar selection system, Feature 3 - Video rendering engine, Feature 4 - Export and storage functionality”