The real cost of feature factories

Feature factories create hidden costs that compound over time. Each new feature makes the product harder to maintain and improve. Technical debt accumulates when teams focus on feature launches instead of measuring performance. Features built quickly to "close deals" require extensive rework later. Initial development might take weeks, but teams pay for hasty decisions over years of maintenance.

User experience suffers as products become bloated. Each additional option increases cognitive load. Features that seemed valuable in isolation create confusion when combined. The product tries to do everything but excels at nothing. Users struggle to find core functionality buried under rarely-used features.

The biggest cost might be opportunity. While teams build features that don't matter, competitors solve real problems. Markets shift, needs evolve, but feature factories keep churning predetermined roadmaps. By the time they realize they're building the wrong things, competitors have captured the market.^[1]