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Thread: How to simplify a complex SaaS product 
I've been working on a pivot of Command over the past month and wanted to share some tips on what I've learned in the detangling process.
There's a lot of simple stuff and mind-hacking that you can do to move forward quickly.
There's a lot of simple stuff and mind-hacking that you can do to move forward quickly.
1/ Perform an inventory of features
If you're far into dev, it's likely you've forgotten about stuff that you built.
Taking the time to click through the app and make a list of features makes it a lot easier to figure out what to cut and what to keep.
If you're far into dev, it's likely you've forgotten about stuff that you built.
Taking the time to click through the app and make a list of features makes it a lot easier to figure out what to cut and what to keep.
Having a list makes it easy to visualize the cruft.
It also helps you to see where the missed connections are—where features don't fit together and make the product confusing for customers.
It also helps you to see where the missed connections are—where features don't fit together and make the product confusing for customers.
2/ Figure out what your customer's questions are
Instead of thinking in feature-to-solve-problem terms, think about what questions your product is answering for your customers.
Ex: I used the ? "how are my marketing efforts impacting my leads/revenue this month?"
Instead of thinking in feature-to-solve-problem terms, think about what questions your product is answering for your customers.
Ex: I used the ? "how are my marketing efforts impacting my leads/revenue this month?"
This allowed me to build a solution from the customer's perspective, not just an engineer's checklist of things to make a feature-complete.
Not only did this help simplify the product as a whole, but it made me more confident about *what* I was building and why.
Not only did this help simplify the product as a whole, but it made me more confident about *what* I was building and why.
3/ Identify which features have become emotional.
As a developer, it's easy to get attached to the things you build. They're your baby.
But that's no way to run a successful product. The easiest features to queue for deletion are the one's that give you googly eyes.
As a developer, it's easy to get attached to the things you build. They're your baby.
But that's no way to run a successful product. The easiest features to queue for deletion are the one's that give you googly eyes.
I've decided to kill the "cards" feature in Command which was just a glorified GitHub Issues/Trello clone.
It works and it works well, but it didn't answer any customer questions.
This might make you cry, but it WILL lead to a better product.
It works and it works well, but it didn't answer any customer questions.
This might make you cry, but it WILL lead to a better product.
4/ Leverage the rule of three
All you need are three core features. Paul Buchheit, creator of Gmail:
"Pick three key attributes or features, get those things very, very right, and then forget about everything else."
If you have to say "and" a lot, something needs to go.
All you need are three core features. Paul Buchheit, creator of Gmail:
"Pick three key attributes or features, get those things very, very right, and then forget about everything else."
If you have to say "and" a lot, something needs to go.
5/ Accept that simplifying is a constant process
It's easy to think that once you hit your product with the simple stick it will stay that way, but the truth is that it's a discipline.
You have to constantly be on guard and self-aware when you're adding stuff you don't need.
It's easy to think that once you hit your product with the simple stick it will stay that way, but the truth is that it's a discipline.
You have to constantly be on guard and self-aware when you're adding stuff you don't need.
Jony Ive's advice on focus here is paramount for understanding this:
It's an "every single minute" thing.
It's an "every single minute" thing.
How to Simplify and Regain Control of an Overly-Complex SaaS Product: https://oncommand.io/blog/how-to-simplify-a-product
Thanks for reading! 
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I write weekly about what I'm learning as I build a SaaS as a solo bootstrapper. Sign up here to get my latest posts in your inbox: https://oncommand.io/subscribe
If you enjoyed this thread, please give it a like or a retweet.
I write weekly about what I'm learning as I build a SaaS as a solo bootstrapper. Sign up here to get my latest posts in your inbox: https://oncommand.io/subscribe
