feature-request-system

name	feature-request-system
description	Designs feature request collection and prioritization systems with voting, tagging, and roadmap integration. Use when organizing customer input into product decisions.
allowed-tools	Read Write Glob
metadata	{"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"}

Feature Request System

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Design a system for collecting and organizing customer feature requests
• Build a prioritization framework for evaluating requests
• Create a public or internal roadmap connected to user feedback
• Set up voting, tagging, and status workflows for feature management

DO NOT use this skill for bug tracking systems, customer support workflows, or product roadmap strategy. This is for the feature request collection and prioritization system specifically.

---

Core Principle

A FEATURE REQUEST SYSTEM IS NOT A SUGGESTION BOX — IT IS A DECISION-MAKING TOOL THAT CONNECTS CUSTOMER VOICE TO PRODUCT PRIORITIES WITH TRANSPARENCY.

---

Phase 1: Brief

Required Inputs

Input	What to Ask	Default
Product type	"What is the product?"	No default — must be provided
Request volume	"How many feature requests do you receive per month?"	Under 50
Current process	"How do you handle feature requests today?"	Email or ad hoc
Public or internal	"Should customers see and vote on requests, or is this internal only?"	Public voting board
Team size	"Who reviews and prioritizes requests?"	Solo founder
Existing tools	"Do you use any project management tools currently?"	None specific

GATE: Confirm the brief before designing the system.

---

Phase 2: Design the System

Collection Channels

Define where requests enter the system:

Channel	Capture Method
In-app widget	Feedback button → form submission
Email	Support inbox → tag and forward
Support tickets	CS team tags feature requests
Social media	Manual capture into system
Sales calls	CRM note → feature request tag
Public board	Direct user submission

Request Template

Every request captured with these fields:

• Title: Short, descriptive name
• Description: What the user wants and why
• Use case: The specific scenario driving the request
• Requester info: Name, plan tier, account value
• Category: Feature area (e.g., billing, reporting, integrations)
• Priority score: Calculated (see Phase 3)

Status Workflow

Submitted → Under Review → Planned → In Progress → Shipped → Closed (Won't Do)

GATE: Confirm system design before building the prioritization framework.

---

Phase 3: Prioritization Framework

Scoring Model (RICE)

Factor	Description	Scale
Reach	How many users will this affect?	1-10 (% of user base)
Impact	How much will it improve their experience?	1-3 (low/medium/high)
Confidence	How sure are we this will work?	50-100%
Effort	How much work to build?	1-10 (days/weeks)

RICE Score = (Reach x Impact x Confidence) / Effort

Decision Matrix

Score Range	Action
50+	Prioritize for next cycle
20-49	Plan for future cycle
10-19	Monitor for additional votes
Under 10	Acknowledge and defer

Voting System Rules

• One vote per user per feature
• Allow users to add context with their vote ("I need this because...")
• Show vote counts publicly to build engagement
• High-value customers (enterprise, high MRR) can be weighted internally

---

Phase 4: Polish

1. Communication Templates

Request received: "Thanks for the suggestion! We have logged your request for [feature]. You can track its status and vote at [link]."

Status update: "Update on your request: [feature] has moved to 'Planned' — we are targeting it for [timeframe]. We will notify you when it ships."

Request shipped: "Great news — [feature] is live! You asked for it, we built it. Try it out: [link]."

Request declined: "We reviewed your request for [feature] and decided not to pursue it at this time. Here is why: [brief reason]. We appreciate the feedback and encourage you to keep sharing ideas."

2. Roadmap Integration

• Link feature requests to roadmap items
• Show a public "what we are working on" page with 3 columns: Planned, In Progress, Shipped
• Update the board monthly at minimum
• Celebrate shipped features with "You asked, we built" messaging

3. Quality Checklist

## Feature Request System Checklist

- [ ] Collection channels defined (in-app, email, support, social)
- [ ] Request template captures title, description, use case, and requester info
- [ ] Status workflow has clear stages (Submitted → Shipped or Closed)
- [ ] Prioritization framework uses a scoring model (RICE or similar)
- [ ] Voting system allows users to support requests
- [ ] Communication templates exist for received, planned, shipped, and declined
- [ ] Public or internal roadmap is connected to the system
- [ ] Monthly review cadence is set for prioritization
- [ ] "Won't Do" requests are communicated with a reason
- [ ] System integrates with existing project management tools

---

Example

Product: SaaS project management tool Volume: 30 requests/month

Public board categories:

• Integrations (Slack, Zapier, etc.)
• Reporting & Analytics
• Task Management
• Mobile App
• Billing & Account

Top request card example:

## Dark Mode
Votes: 47 | Status: Planned | Category: UI/UX

"Add a dark mode option for the web app and mobile app."

Top voter comment: "I work late nights and the white interface is blinding. Even a simple dark theme would make a huge difference." — Sarah K., Growth Plan

---

Anti-Patterns

• Building everything users ask for — popular requests are not always the right priorities. Use scoring to balance demand with strategy.
• Black hole feedback — collecting requests without ever updating status destroys trust. Close the loop.
• No decline path — never saying no means an infinite backlog. Have a "Won't Do" status with a reason.
• Letting vote count alone decide — a feature with 100 votes from free users may matter less than a request from your top 5 paying customers.
• Overcomplicating the system — a spreadsheet beats a complex tool nobody uses. Start simple.

---

Recovery

• Overwhelmed by request volume: Batch-process weekly instead of daily. Group similar requests to reduce duplicates.
• No votes on the board: Seed it with known requests from support emails. Announce the board to existing users.
• Conflicting requests: Document the tradeoffs. Present both options to a small user group for tiebreaking feedback.
• User angry about declined request: Respond personally. Explain the reasoning and suggest a workaround if one exists.