How do you balance between fixing bugs and developing new features?

Question

Dima Tryhubenko · Accepted Answer

Both bugs and features are product backlog items, I treat them as such. So depending on a given bug's urgency, severity, complexity, I will assume a priority for it and will compare it against both other bugs and actual new features in the backlog - what is the most value I can deliver now? Is it fixing a specific bug or creating a new feature deferring the bug fix?

Yolanda Zul Imatufarikh · Answer

Assess the severity and impact of bugs. Critical bugs that affect user experience or system stability should be addressed immediately, while less impactful ones can be scheduled for later.

Star · Answer

Balancing bug fixes and new features requires prioritization. Critical bugs are preached immediately, while less urgent ones are scheduled with features. Regularly allocating time for both ensures persistent progress and prevents technical deficits. User feedback assists us decide when to concentrate on resilience versus innovation.

Prateek · Answer

I balance it by prioritizing bugs that impact users the most, while also dedicating set time each week for fixing smaller issues. This helps me stay on track with new features without letting bugs pile up.

Timothy Bramlett · Answer

As always, it depends on the stage your product is in, but in general you want to prioritize bugs that customers have submitted.

Sydney C. Hogan · Answer

Balancing bug fixes and new feature development is all about prioritizing. I focus on fixing critical bugs first, especially if they affect the user experience or cause major issues. Once those are under control, I shift to developing new features, making sure they align with user needs and business goals. It’s a constant juggling act, but I try to keep things running smoothly by addressing what’s most important at the time.

Veeresh Devireddy · Answer

It is based on the priority of users, impact and its values. I would first recommend fixing the bugs and retain existing users, than building new features which are yet to create a new traction.

Nigel Yong · Answer

to me bugs have priority, features can wait.

How about you?

How do you balance between fixing bugs and developing new features?

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