Users request features in emails and support tickets that get lost
Let users submit and vote on feature requests. Users who feel heard stay longer, and you build what actually matters.
When to use
You receive feature requests through scattered channels and want to centralize them.
Hypothesis template
If we create a public feature voting board, retention will improve by [target]% because users invest emotionally in the product's future and feel heard.
Method
The problem: Feature requests come in through email, support, Twitter, and DMs. You lose track, users feel ignored, and you build the wrong things.
What works: A public board (Canny, Nolt, or a simple page) where users submit ideas and vote on others. Top requests bubble up. You mark items as "planned" or "shipped."
The result: Users who submit feature requests or vote have 30-40% lower churn than average. They've invested in the product's future.
How to do it:
- Set up a feature request board (Canny, Nolt, GitHub Discussions, or a simple form)
- Seed it with 5-10 existing requests from your backlog
- Link to it prominently in your app: "Suggest a feature"
- Respond to every submission within 48 hours
- Mark items as "Under review," "Planned," or "Shipped"
- When you ship something requested, email the voters: "We built what you asked for"
Key insight: The board isn't about building what users want. It's about making users feel heard. Even declined requests reduce churn if you explain why.
Success metrics
- •Feature submissions per month
- •Votes per submission
- •Retention rate of participants vs non-participants
- •Shipped requests per quarter
Prerequisites
- A feature board tool or page
- Time to respond to submissions
- A process for reviewing and prioritizing requests
Common pitfalls
- •Not responding to submissions
- •Building everything users request (stay strategic)
- •Letting the board become a complaint forum
- •Not closing the loop when you ship requested features
Source: Canny, Linear. Feature request participants have 30-40% lower churn than non-participants.
Suggested ICE scores
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