Often, late-stage feature creep is a result of moving too quickly from product concept to implementation without fully exploring product alternatives. It also occurs in the absence of full engagement with business owners or because of product development delays as a result of the minimum viable product (MVP) being too large. It is critical to fully engage decision makers in early stage definition of the MVP as well as defining changes (market, competitive or other) that might drive a change in MVP.

In their zeal for innovation, many organizations do not spend sufficient time assessing the key capabilities and skillsets of both internal teams and external partners. Nor do they adequately map these capabilities against product options and the effective program risk. Delivering on innovation requires understanding what your can team can really deliver. Organizations that focus on unconstrained user experience innovation and concepts fail to get traction with commercialization teams.

Often, organizations make the mistake of pushing for shorter rather than more reliable timelines. The first looks good on paper, but the second is good for business. Building a culture that sets aggressive and realistic timelines and then delivers on them is critical for on going business success. 

Teams often create product concepts with too many features because they lose sight of the core consumer experience. Team should challenge themselves to define the simplest MVP and seek to simplify it further through during the course of development. Products should be designed to allow for future product revisions and upgrades. The post-release feature evolution should be part of an ongoing customer engagement.