The Kano Model: A Strategic Lens for Prioritizing Product Features
There’s no shortage of product ideas. The real challenge? Knowing which features to build, when to build them, and why they matter. That’s where the Kano Model shines.
This framework helps product teams understand how different features impact customer satisfaction. Some features make customers smile. Others frustrate them when missing. And some? They don’t really matter. By applying the Kano Model, Scrum Teams can align their work with what users actually care about—not just what’s loudest in the backlog.
What Is the Kano Model?
The Kano Model, developed by Professor Noriaki Kano in the 1980s, is a way of thinking about features not in terms of what they do, but how customers feel about them.
It divides features into five categories:
- Basic Needs (Must-Haves): Users expect these. If they’re missing, you’ll hear about it. Loudly. But delivering them perfectly won’t win you any bonus points.
- Performance Needs (Linear Satisfiers): The better you do here, the happier users are. These have a direct correlation to satisfaction.
- Delighters (Exciters): Unexpected features that make people say, “Wow, that’s cool!” They’re not necessary—but they’re memorable.
- Indifferent Features: These don’t affect satisfaction at all. You could ship them… or not.
- Reverse Features: These divide users. Some love them, others hate them. Tread carefully.
Why It Matters
Scrum encourages us to focus on delivering value every Sprint. But “value” is fuzzy unless you understand what customers actually care about. The Kano Model sharpens that lens.
Tip from the field:
During a two-week Sprint on a healthcare product, our team debated adding a “dark mode.” It wasn’t on the roadmap, but a few folks thought it’d be a quick win. Rather than guess, we ran a quick Kano-style survey. Turns out it was an indifferent feature—no one really cared. We shifted focus to improving loading speed, which users rated as a performance need. That choice made a measurable difference in user retention.
When and How to Use the Kano Model
You don’t need a lengthy research study to apply the Kano Model. It can be lightweight and still powerful—especially during product planning, backlog refinement, or roadmap reviews.
Here’s how to use it:
-
List potential features.
Pull these from your product backlog, Sprint planning session, or customer feedback. -
Ask two questions per feature:
- How do you feel if this feature is present?
- How do you feel if it’s not?
Let customers respond using a simple scale:
“I like it,” “I expect it,” “I’m neutral,” “I can tolerate it,” “I dislike it.” -
Categorize the responses.
Use a simple matrix or Kano plotting tool to sort features into the five categories. -
Reassess regularly.
Today’s delighters are tomorrow’s expectations. The bar keeps moving.
Tip from the field:
In an internal tool we built for our ops team, we initially categorized a Slack integration as a delighter. People were thrilled. Six months later? It was seen as basic. “How did we ever operate without this?” they asked. That’s the Kano Model in action—expectations evolve.
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Assuming instead of asking.
It’s easy to guess what users will value. It’s harder—but more effective—to ask and listen. - Over-indexing on delighters.
Delighters are great, but they’re not a substitute for getting the basics right. - Ignoring user segments.
What delights one persona might frustrate another. Context matters.
Final Thoughts
In Scrum, we inspect and adapt every Sprint. The Kano Model gives us another lens for inspecting—not our process, but our product. It helps teams prioritize based on customer emotion, not just effort or internal urgency.
When you use it regularly, you build smarter backlogs, avoid waste, and deliver value that actually matters.
Tip from the field:
Don’t be afraid to cut features that test out as indifferent. Saying “no” can be just as valuable as shipping something shiny. Use Kano to guide those conversations with data and confidence.