Comments on: Product Differentiation vs. Product Improvement http://tynerblain.com/blog/2006/05/24/differentiation-vs-improvement/ Software product success. Sat, 19 May 2012 12:04:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Scott Sehlhorst http://tynerblain.com/blog/2006/05/24/differentiation-vs-improvement/comment-page-1/#comment-3069 Scott Sehlhorst Mon, 29 May 2006 16:25:27 +0000 http://tynerblain.com/blog/2006/05/24/differentiation-vs-improvement/#comment-3069 Deepak - thanks for commenting - and great point. There is definitely a point in time where incremental improvements are better than additional functionality. If we look at the following chart, used most recently in <a href="http://tynerblain.com/blog/2006/05/22/mrd-writing-tips-ten-from-michael-shrivathsan/" rel="nofollow">MRD Writing Tips</a>, we see that there is a law of diminishing returns in place. <img src="http://sehlhorst.smugmug.com/photos/57708984-M.png" alt="Profit Maximizing incremental improvement"/> When we are on the left side of the tangent point, we can benefit from incremental improvement. When the amount of that benefit exceeds the expected benefit of a new feature introduction, we should do it. Thanks again, Scott Deepak – thanks for commenting – and great point.

There is definitely a point in time where incremental improvements are better than additional functionality. If we look at the following chart, used most recently in MRD Writing Tips, we see that there is a law of diminishing returns in place.

Profit Maximizing incremental improvement

When we are on the left side of the tangent point, we can benefit from incremental improvement. When the amount of that benefit exceeds the expected benefit of a new feature introduction, we should do it.

Thanks again,
Scott

]]> By: Deepak http://tynerblain.com/blog/2006/05/24/differentiation-vs-improvement/comment-page-1/#comment-2947 Deepak Sat, 27 May 2006 01:09:52 +0000 http://tynerblain.com/blog/2006/05/24/differentiation-vs-improvement/#comment-2947 I think there is a trap a lot of people fall into, especially techie types. "Different" does not mean "better". Sometimes incremental improvements make more sense than something new (of course, sometimes just the illusion of different makes it seem like things have improved). I think there is a trap a lot of people fall into, especially techie types. “Different” does not mean “better”. Sometimes incremental improvements make more sense than something new (of course, sometimes just the illusion of different makes it seem like things have improved).

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