feature-investment-advisor skill

Purpose

Guide product managers through evaluating whether to build a feature based on financial impact analysis. Use this to make data-driven prioritization decisions by assessing revenue connection (direct or indirect), cost structure (dev + COGS + OpEx), ROI calculation, and strategic value—then deliver actionable build/don't build recommendations with supporting math.

This is not a generic prioritization framework—it's a financial lens for feature decisions that complements other prioritization methods (RICE, value vs. effort, user research). Use when financial impact is a key decision factor.

Input

Works best with: The feature you're deciding on, in a sentence or two. Also useful: Revenue connection (direct or indirect), rough cost inputs (dev time, COGS, ongoing OpEx), and the strategic argument being made for it.

Anything supplied with the invocation itself — text after the skill name, a pasted context dump, or an appended ARGUMENTS: line — counts as answers already given. Use it and skip whatever it covers; don't re-ask.

Arriving empty-handed? That works too. The advisor opens by asking what the feature is and how it's supposed to make or save money.

Example invocation: Should we build SSO/SAML? Enterprise deals keep stalling on it; est. 2 engineer-months plus ongoing support burden.

Key Concepts

The Feature Investment Framework

A systematic approach to evaluate features financially:

1. Revenue Connection — How does this feature impact revenue?

• Direct monetization (new tier, add-on, usage charges)
• Indirect monetization (retention, conversion, expansion enablement)

1. Cost Structure — What does it cost to build and run?

• Development cost (one-time investment)
• COGS impact (ongoing infrastructure, processing)
• OpEx impact (ongoing support, maintenance)

1. ROI Calculation — Is the return worth the investment?

• Direct monetization: Revenue impact / Development cost
• Retention features: LTV impact across customer base / Development cost
• Factor in gross margin, not just revenue

1. Strategic Value — Non-financial value that might override pure ROI

• Competitive moat (prevents churn to competitor)
• Platform enabler (unlocks future features)
• Market positioning (needed for enterprise deals)
• Risk reduction (compliance, security)

Anti-Patterns (What This Is NOT)

• Not feature scoring alone: Combines financial analysis with strategic judgment
• Not revenue-only thinking: Considers margins, costs, and ROI, not just top-line revenue
• Not ignoring retention: Indirect revenue impact (churn reduction) is equally valid
• Not building without validation: Assumes you've done discovery; this is the financial lens

When to Use This Framework

Use this when:

• Prioritizing between features with quantifiable revenue/retention impact
• Evaluating expensive features (>1 engineer-month of work)
• Making build/buy/partner decisions
• Defending feature prioritization to stakeholders or leadership
• Choosing between direct monetization (add-on) vs. indirect (retention)

Don't use this when:

• Feature is table stakes (must-have for competitive parity)
• Impact is purely qualitative (brand, UX delight without measurable retention effect)
• You haven't validated the problem (do discovery first)
• Feature is < 1 week of work (just build it)

Facilitation Source of Truth

Use workshop-facilitation as the default interaction protocol for this skill.

It defines:

• session heads-up + entry mode (Guided, Context dump, Best guess)
• one-question turns with plain-language prompts
• progress labels (for example, Context Qx/8 and Scoring Qx/5)
• interruption handling and pause/resume behavior
• numbered recommendations at decision points
• quick-select numbered response options for regular questions (include Other (specify) when useful)

This file defines the domain-specific assessment content. If there is a conflict, follow this file's domain logic.

Application

This interactive skill asks up to 4 adaptive questions, offering 3-5 enumerated options at decision points.

Step 0: Gather Context

Agent asks:

"Let's evaluate the financial impact of this feature investment. Please provide:

Feature description:

• What's the feature? (1-2 sentences)
• Target customer segment (SMB, mid-market, enterprise, all)

Current business context:

• Current MRR/ARR (or customer count if pre-revenue)
• Current ARPU/ARPA
• Current monthly churn rate
• Gross margin %

Constraints:

• Development cost estimate (team size × time)
• Any ongoing COGS or OpEx implications?

You can provide estimates if you don't have exact numbers."

Step 1: Identify Revenue Connection

Agent asks:

"How does this feature impact revenue? Choose the option that best describes the revenue connection:

1. Direct monetization (new revenue stream) — We'll charge for this (new pricing tier, paid add-on, usage-based fee)
2. Retention improvement (reduce churn) — Addresses key churn reason; keeps customers from leaving
3. Conversion improvement (trial-to-paid) — Helps convert free/trial users to paid customers
4. Expansion enabler (upsell/cross-sell) — Creates upsell path or drives usage-based expansion
5. No direct revenue impact — Table stakes, platform improvement, or strategic value only

Choose a number, or describe a custom revenue connection."

Based on selection, agent adapts:

If 1 (Direct monetization):

• "What pricing are you considering?"
• "What % of customers do you expect to adopt this?" (conservative, base, optimistic)
• Calculate: Potential Monthly Revenue = Customer Base × Adoption Rate × Price

If 2 (Retention improvement):

• "What % of churn does this feature address?" (e.g., "30% of churned customers cited this gap")
• "What churn reduction do you expect?" (e.g., "5% → 4% monthly churn")
• Calculate: LTV Impact = Increase in Customer Lifetime × Customer Base × ARPU × Margin

If 3 (Conversion improvement):

• "Current trial-to-paid conversion rate?"
• "Expected conversion lift?" (e.g., "20% → 25% conversion")
• Calculate: Additional MRR = Trial Users × Conversion Lift × ARPU

If 4 (Expansion enabler):

• "What expansion opportunity does this create?" (upsell tier, usage growth, add-on)
• "What % of customers will expand?"
• Calculate: Expansion MRR = Customer Base × Expansion Rate × ARPU Increase

If 5 (No direct revenue impact):

• Skip to strategic value assessment

Step 2: Assess Cost Structure