How do you manage conflicting priorities between adding new features and optimizing performance?

Gather and analyze data and feedback to identify current priorities. If there is significant user engagement, optimizing performance is crucial for maintaining consistent interaction. However, if your application is new and you are focusing on expanding your reach, adding new features to attract followers is essential.

We faced this dilemma when developing our interactive storytelling feature. User feedback showed demand for more customization options, but our app was already struggling with load times. We used A/B testing to introduce new features to a subset of users while monitoring performance metrics. This data-driven approach helped us identify which features provided the most value without significantly impacting performance. It taught us that prioritization isn't always an either/or decision - sometimes, it's about finding the sweet spot where new features and performance optimization coexist.

In my experience, Agile forces us to break down big goals into manageable chunks. This allows us to dedicate time within each sprint not just to building the new features, but also to identify and tackle performance bottlenecks. But it isn't as easy as the theory makes it sound, there are times where we have dive deep into the complex features and forget about the performance

Early in our development, we rushed to add new game types without properly optimizing our existing codebase. This led to a sluggish app that frustrated users. We learned our lesson and now dedicate 20% of each sprint to addressing technical debt. This practice has not only improved our app's performance but also made adding new features smoother. Remember, technical debt is like a credit card - a little can be useful, but too much will cost you dearly in the long run.

One strategy I found effective is implementing feature flags. This allows us to develop new features in parallel with performance optimizations and selectively enable them for different user groups. It gives us the flexibility to roll out features gradually, monitor their impact on performance in real-world conditions, and quickly disable them if issues arise. Additionally, we've found that involving the entire team - from developers to designers to product managers - in performance discussions fosters a culture where everyone feels responsible for maintaining a balance between innovation and optimization.