Value Check

Evaluate a feature, product direction, or the overall product against four dimensions of user value. Adapted from the Value Realization framework.

When to use: Before building a new feature, evaluating PMF, planning marketing, prioritizing the roadmap, or when asking "will users actually want this?"

Input

The user will describe one of:

• A specific feature idea (e.g., "automated rent tracking via bank feeds")
• A product direction (e.g., "pivot toward property managers")
• The overall product (e.g., "evaluate BrickTrack's current PMF")
• A comparison (e.g., "should we build X or Y next?")

Product Context

BrickTrack is a property investment portfolio tracker for Australian landlords. Core value proposition: replace messy spreadsheets with an organized dashboard for tracking properties, rent, expenses, loans, depreciation, and tax-time reporting.

• Target users: Australian property investors (1-5 properties, self-managed or with property manager)
• Competitors: spreadsheets (primary), PropertyMe (property managers), TaxTank (tax-focused), Sharesight (shares, not property)
• Stage: Pre-launch, building toward MVP
• Pricing: Freemium (1 property free, paid for multi-property)

Four-Dimension Analysis

For each dimension, assess with a status indicator and explain reasoning.

1. Value Clarity (Can users articulate why they'd use this?)

Ask: "If a landlord told their friend about this, what would they say?"

Method: Write the one-sentence pitch a user would give. If you can't write it clearly, the value isn't clear.

2. Value Timeline (When does the user get value?)

Method: Identify the first moment of value. If it's more than 1 session away, flag it and propose a short-term hook.

3. Value Perception (Can users see/feel their progress?)

Ask: "Is the value visible in the UI, or is it invisible backend work?"

Method: Describe what the user sees that proves this feature is working for them. If you can't point to a specific UI element, the value is invisible.

4. Value Discovery (Do users already know they want this?)

Method: Identify which type. For latent/created needs, propose the "aha moment" — the specific interaction that makes the user realize they need this.

Output Format

## Value Check: [Feature/Product]

### Summary
| Dimension | Status | One-Line Assessment |
|-----------|--------|-------------------|
| Clarity   | [G/Y/R] | ... |
| Timeline  | [G/Y/R] | ... |
| Perception| [G/Y/R] | ... |
| Discovery | [G/Y/R] | ... |

### Overall Verdict
[GO / RETHINK / STOP]
- GO: 3-4 green — build it
- RETHINK: 2+ yellow — refine the value proposition before building
- STOP: Any red — fundamental value gap, solve before investing effort

### Detailed Analysis
[One paragraph per dimension with reasoning]

### Recommendations
[2-3 specific, actionable next steps]

### Comparable Products
[1-2 examples of products that solved similar value problems, with what we can learn]

Tips

• Features != Value. "We added bank feed integration" is a feature. "You never have to manually enter a transaction again" is value.
• Test the pitch. If you can't explain the value to a non-technical landlord in one sentence, it's not clear enough.
• Invisible value = no value to users. Always make the outcome visible in the UI.
• When comparing features: Run value-check on each independently, then compare the verdicts side by side.