Mapping features back to original hypotheses

Products drift when teams forget why they're building. That innovative messaging feature seemed crucial 6 months ago, but does it still serve your original hypothesis? Regular reality checks prevent building solutions to forgotten problems. Start by documenting your core hypothesis clearly. "We believe [user segment] will [key behavior] because [reason]."

Every feature should map directly to enabling that behavior or validating that reason. Features that don't connect indicate drift from your original vision. This discipline is especially crucial during long development cycles. Markets shift, competitors launch, and assumptions change. But rather than chasing every change, return to your hypothesis. Has it been invalidated? If not, stay the course. If yes, pivot deliberately rather than drift accidentally.^[1]