Backlog Prioritization: Choosing Between Features and Sales

Understanding the Balancing Act

Indiehackers often face a dilemma: Should they focus on building new features or direct their energy toward making sales? This decision can feel overwhelming, but understanding demand and supply can help simplify the process.

Demand is what your customers want to achieve. It exists with or without your product. Supply is how you respond to that demand by building solutions. Prioritizing one over the other depends on your current stage of growth and customer feedback.

Real-World Example: Demand-Driven Development

Take the story of "Project A," an indiehacker who initially focused on feature building but struggled to gain traction. After pivoting to a manual sales-first growth strategy, they identified that their target audience valued simpler, quicker solutions over complex features. By aligning their backlog with customer demand, Project A grew their user base and increased revenue.

Steps to Prioritize Your Backlog

1. Talk to Customers: Use insights from customer interviews to understand their priorities.
2. Rank by Impact: Use a simple scoring system to evaluate how each feature or sales effort aligns with business goals.
3. Test Ideas Manually: Validate ideas through manual processes, as explained in duct tape MVP strategies.
4. Focus on Quick Wins: Prioritize initiatives that deliver immediate value, such as the approach outlined in urgency engines.
5. Iterate Based on Feedback: Continuously refine your backlog based on real-world results.

Common Myths About Backlog Prioritization

Myth: You need to build every feature requested by users. Shipping an MVP is about simplicity and focus, not feature overload. Share on X

Myth: Sales efforts are less important than features. Early sales efforts help validate product-market fit. Share on X

Interactive Checklist for Prioritization

Use this checklist to assess your current priorities:

• Have you identified your top customer demands?
• Are your backlog items ranked by impact and feasibility?
• Are you testing features manually before building?
• Have you validated sales approaches with real conversations?

Next Steps

After reading this article, consider the following:

• Conduct at least three customer interviews this week.
• Revisit your backlog and rank items based on customer feedback.
• Test one feature or sales strategy manually.
• Share your MVP on BetrTesters to gather feedback.

Call to Action

Join the conversation in our community on X. Share your backlog challenges and learn from other indiehackers. Ready to start? List your MVP today!