kano-model

name	kano-model
description	Prioritize product features with the Kano model of customer satisfaction. Use when sorting feature ideas, roadmap items, requirements, or service attributes into must-haves, performance drivers, delighters, low-value work, and reverse effects; use to decide what to protect, improve, add, defer, remove, or validate.

Kano Model

Classify features by satisfaction impact. Separate basics, performance drivers, delighters, low-value work, and reverse effects.

Goal

Help users decide feature priority. Classify each feature by customer satisfaction impact.

Categories

• Must-be: expected baseline. Missing causes dissatisfaction. Presence prevents complaints.
• One-dimensional: more or better increases satisfaction; less or worse decreases satisfaction.
• Attractive: unexpected delight. Presence increases satisfaction. Absence does not hurt.
• Indifferent: little satisfaction impact either way.
• Reverse: more of the feature reduces satisfaction for some users.
• Questionable: contradictory response. Exclude or inspect.

Rules

• Use behavior, support tickets, churn reasons, sales objections, interviews, or survey data.
• Treat stakeholder guesses as hypotheses.
• Split segments when categories conflict.
• Re-check old classifications; delighters can become basics.
• Do not treat delighters as a substitute for broken must-haves.
• Do not overbuild must-haves unless they support positioning.
• Keep survey design optional. Most users need priority advice first.

Flow

1. Clarify user segment and product context.
2. Rewrite feature ideas as user-visible outcomes.
3. Classify each feature.
4. Pick action from category.
5. Rank within each action group by evidence strength and strategic fit.
6. Name unknowns and fastest validation.

Actions

• Must-be: protect baseline.
• One-dimensional: improve when strategic.
• Attractive: add selectively for differentiation.
• Indifferent: cut, defer, or de-scope.
• Reverse: remove, segment, or make optional.
• Questionable: inspect before deciding.

Optional Validation

Use lightweight research when evidence is weak:

• Ask what users expect as baseline.
• Ask what absence would block, annoy, or not matter.
• Ask what presence would delight, help, or feel like clutter.

Resources

• references/sources.md: load only for formal Kano surveys, answer mapping, satisfaction coefficients, source citations, or deeper method checks.

Output

## Kano Analysis

Segment:
Context:

## Features
- [Feature]
  - Category: [category]
  - Evidence: [signal]
  - Confidence: [low / medium / high]
  - Action: [action]

## Priority
- Protect:
- Improve:
- Add:
- Cut or defer:
- Segment conflicts:

## Next Validation
- Unknowns:
- Fastest check:
- Re-check date: