{"id":1754,"slug":"rule-build-features-customers-will-actually-use-pendo-80","title":"R5 — Build features customers will actually use; ~80% of software features go unused (Pendo 2019)","kind":"rule","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","smb-owner","candid-team","client-prospect"],"topics":["agency-methodology","bespoke-build-economics","feature-adoption-rates"],"reference_body":"**Rule:** Before scoping a feature into a custom build, ask whether real users will actually use it. **~80% of software-product features are rarely or never used** ([[pendo-2019-80-percent-features-unused]]; corroborated at 64% by [[standish-group-64-percent-features-rarely-never-used]]).\n\n**Why:** Feature creep is the most expensive way to spend the ceiling ([[rule-floor-fell-ceiling-did-not-bespoke-still-costs]]). Every unused feature is build cost *and* maintenance cost *and* surface area for bugs *and* cognitive load for the user. The Pendo / Standish figures are the strongest evidence that \"ship the smaller thing\" is the right default.\n\n**How to apply:**\n- Scope conversations include a \"what is the actual workflow the user is performing\" question for every feature line item.\n- The default answer to \"could we also add…\" is \"not in v1.\"\n- Live usage instrumentation in v1 informs v2 scope; don't guess.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"pendo-2019-80-percent-features-unused","title":"Pendo 2019 Feature Adoption Report: 80% of software-product features rarely or never used (615 subscriptions analyzed)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"standish-group-64-percent-features-rarely-never-used","title":"Standish Group (older): 64% of software features rarely or never used","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"rule-rent-commodity-parts-build-only-differentiated-logic","title":"R3 — Rent the commodity parts (Stripe / Auth0 / Algolia / RDS / Lambda); build only what is genuinely differentiated logic","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"rule-floor-fell-ceiling-did-not-bespoke-still-costs","title":"R4 — The floor fell, the ceiling did not: bespoke client portals still cost $20k–$50k + $10k–$25k/yr — say so honestly","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-falling-cost-floor-real-web-functionality-smb-june-2026","title":"Research brief: the falling cost floor of \"real\" web functionality for SMBs (June 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-06-21T13:17:00.714Z","updated_at":"2026-06-21T13:17:00.714Z"}