Feature Definition: The Heart of Product Management

Define your product structure, Epics, and
Features, then collaborate.

Feature definition dashboard showing product backlog and spec editor in a software tool

What is a Feature?

A feature is a capability in your product that delivers value to users while supporting business goals. It can be simple, like adding a filter button, or complex, like enabling multi-select or real-time analysis. Features are practical solutions that connect user needs with strategy.

They are the building blocks of development, aligning teams and turning ideas into outcomes. In a word processor, for example, features like spell check, collaboration, and PDF export each solve specific problems and set the product apart.

Product backlog view displaying tasks, releases, sprints, and priorities for product features.

Product Backlog

A product backlog is the foundation of feature definition. By organizing product features into a clear backlog, you can connect priorities to your roadmap and align your team.

Spec editor for writing product features, arranging product structure, and linking stories

Spec Editor

Use the Spec Editor to define features in context. Write detailed specs, link related Stories, and arrange your product structure in one view. This makes feature definition clearer and supports better collaboration.

Story mapping board visualizing product features, hierarchy, and user journeys in software

Story Mapping

Story mapping transforms feature definition into a visual flow. It helps teams understand user journeys, prioritize product features, and align the product structure with strategy.

Why Feature Software Matters

Feature software matters because it bridges the gap between product strategy and execution. With Craft.io, teams can define product features clearly, organize their product backlog, and visualize workflows through story mapping. By aligning product structure with real user needs, Craft.io helps prioritize effectively, foster collaboration, and ensure every software feature drives both user value and business outcomes.

FAQs

What is the difference between functionality and features?

Functionality is what software can do in general, while features are the specific solutions that deliver that functionality to users. Put simply, functionality is the capability, and features are how users experience it.

What are product features in agile?

In agile, product features are user-focused deliverables that guide development, align teams, and provide clear value. They help prioritize the product backlog and keep teams focused on outcomes.

What does feature mean?

A feature is a specific capability in a product that solves a user problem and supports business goals. It turns high-level ideas into practical, usable outcomes.

What Product Leaders Say About Craft.io

“craft.io makes it so easy to tie everything we do to OKRs and other metrics that it’s proving to be one of the most valuable tools in Kingfisher’s move to a product-led culture.”

Matt Jackson

Group Product Manager, Kingfisher

“The bar for what makes a great product gets higher every year. craft.io is a testament to that. We expect them to keep defining what it means to be at the cutting edge of product, not only in 2023 but also in the years to come.”

SC Moatti

Founding CEO, Products That Count

“Now that we have a software solution designed specifically for product management, our agile teams are able to connect OKRs directly to items on their roadmaps and quickly weigh competing items by applying the prioritization models built right into craft.io.”

Sagar Medandarao

Product Management CoE, Fannie Mae

"craft.io is the first solution I’ve ever used that lets me do just about all of my product work in one environment. That saves me hours every week.”

Jack Yulzari

Product Team Manager, AI21 labs

“Of all the benefits we’re receiving from craft.io, I think the most significant is being able to view, analyze, and share the same data in many different ways.”

Petra Angeli

VP of Products, Acolad

“... we extended the product delivery with the product discovery part, driven by insight from customers in one tool!!”

Marcin Jedrzejczak

Lead Product Manager, SAP

"Everything on one place".

Soledad Rivero

Scrum Master, Kimberly-Clark

“The full package for road mapping, feedback gathering tool that will truly enable any PM.”

Stephan Becker

Sr Product Manager, Radicle Balance

"At SaaS Awards, we were most impressed with craft.io's Guru layer, which provides teams with easy access to hundreds of best-practice templates and views."

Annabelle Whittall

Lead Judge, SaaS Awards

"craft.io offers the possibility to set up multiple views that adjust to your needs: roadmap prioritization, capacity planning, or simply demand intaking."

Victoria Pacialeo

Product Owner eCommerce, Kimberly-Clark

“This tool is a one-stop-shop for product management. craft.io helped us stay on top of our product management work, but it has also helped us learn how to be a better product team.”

Yonatan Schreiber

CEO & Co-Founder, blings.io

“With craft.io, we have an always-updated roadmap and a single source of truth that anyone in the company can view. I can’t overstate how valuable that is.”

Ventsi Tasev

Group Product Manager, quickbase

“You are pro-grade product managers. Delivering better outcomes and driving continuous improvement.”

Rusty Zaspel

Transformation Champion & Senior Marketing Leader, Kimberly-Clark

"…the best combination of stakeholder friendly and team friendly features on the market."

Matt Weghorst

VP of Engineering, Social Native

craft.io is the perfect product for product managers. It makes it very easy to manage your products all the way from Strategy to detailed implementation lifecycles.

Abhijit Dev

Lead Product Manager, IMImobile, Cornell University

Product Management, easier. It's also a clearly modern web app, unlike most of its competitors. You can easily create stories and issues out of notes.

Alexander Holley

Product Owner, Artos Systems

craft.io supports the entire product management life cycle with a rich and easy to use interface. The kanban boards are well designed and implemented.

Paul Davis

Product Manager, Cornell University, Cisco