Prune the Product Tree
Updated 2026-08-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Prune the product tree draws the product as a tree: the roots are the core vision, the branches are modules, and the leaves are individual features. Pruning means scoring each branch and leaf for value, usage, strategic fit, and maintenance cost, then removing what is low in value or off the core, so nourishment flows to the trunk instead of being scattered across the canopy.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- See the whole tree: map every feature to the vision, module, and core before cutting - Score before you cut: rank each part on value, usage, fit, and maintenance cost - Feed the trunk: move freed resources onto the high-value core instead of new branches
Anchor fast decisions
A product's attention and engineering capacity are a fixed budget, and every feature draws from the same trunk, so weak branches starve the core while pretending to add value. Scoring each branch makes that cost visible, and pruning converts scattered maintenance into concentrated investment in the features that actually carry the vision.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation_gameverified
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