Cut scope to ship something meaningful within constraints. Favor a complete small thing over an incomplete big thing.
Step 1: List All Requirements
Collect every feature, requirement, and "wouldn't it be nice if" into a flat list. If the user provided a PRD or feature set, extract items from it. If not, ask.
Each item should be a concrete, shippable unit — not a theme. Break down anything vague ("improve onboarding") into specific deliverables ("add welcome wizard", "send day-1 email", "add progress indicator").
Step 2: Apply the Core Job Test
For each item, ask: "If we shipped without this, would the core job still get done?"
- Yes → Nice-to-have. Move it down.
- No → Must-have candidate. Keep it.
Be honest. "Get done" means the user can complete the primary task, even if it's manual, ugly, or slow. A to-do app without drag-and-drop reordering still lets people track tasks. A to-do app without the ability to add tasks does not.
Step 3: Categorize into Tiers
Sort every item into one of four tiers:
| Tier | Label | Criteria | Ships in |
|---|---|---|---|
| T0 | Must Ship (MVP) | Without this, the product doesn't work or the core job can't be completed | Current timeline |
| T1 | Should Ship | Makes the experience significantly better but isn't blocking the core job | v1.1 / next cycle |
| T2 | Could Ship | Genuine value, but the product is viable and useful without it | Future |
| T3 | Won't Ship | Out of scope, wrong timing, low value, or conflicts with focus | Never (for now) |
Present the result as a table:
| Tier | Item | Rationale |
|------|------|-----------|
| T0 | ... | Core job requires it: [why] |
| T1 | ... | Improves [what], but core flow works without it |
| T2 | ... | Nice for [who], revisit after launch |
| T3 | ... | Out of scope because [reason] |Step 4: Validate the MVP
Check that the T0 set is coherent:
- Does it complete one whole job? Users should be able to go from start to done, even if the path is rough. Partial flows are worse than missing features.
- Is it scoped to one persona? Serving one user well beats serving three users poorly. If T0 tries to cover multiple personas, pick the most important one and move the rest to T1.
- Can it ship within the timeline? If T0 alone exceeds the timeline, cut further. Ask: "Which of these must-haves is the *most* must-have?"
- Is there a simpler version of any T0 item? "Full search with filters" might become "basic text search." "Role-based permissions" might become "admin/member only." Reduce the scope *within* must-haves, not just between them.
Scoping Principles
Follow these when making cuts:
| Principle | Instead of... | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| Depth over breadth | 5 features at 60% quality | 2 features at 100% quality |
| Complete flows over partial features | Login + half of onboarding + half of dashboard | Login + complete onboarding |
| One persona done well | Basic support for 3 user types | Full support for 1 user type |
| Manual before automated | Build the automation | Do it manually, learn, then automate |
| Ugly but functional | Polished UI for an unproven flow | Working flow with minimal styling |
| Read before write | Full CRUD from day one | Display data first, add editing later |
Anti-Patterns: Scope Creep Signals
Watch for these and call them out:
- "Just one more thing" — Every addition resets the timeline. Ask: "What are we cutting to make room for this?"
- "It's only a small change" — Small changes have invisible costs: edge cases, testing, documentation, future maintenance.
- "Users will expect it" — Maybe. But will they refuse to use the product without it? If not, it's T1.
- "While we're at it" — Adjacent work feels efficient but fragments focus. Ship the current scope first.
- "We need parity with [competitor]" — You don't. You need to do one job better than they do, not every job equally.
- "It won't take long" — It will. Multiply the estimate by 2 and ask if it's still worth it.
Output Format
Deliver:
- The tiered table with every item categorized and justified
- A clear MVP statement: "The MVP lets [persona] do [core job] by shipping [T0 items]"
- Timeline fit: Does T0 fit the constraint? If not, what further cuts are needed?
- Scope creep flags: Any items that tried to sneak into T0 but belong in T1+