Dev Teams: How To Prevent Post-Launch Bugs And Feature Backlogs

InnovationDev Teams: How To Prevent Post-Launch Bugs And Feature BacklogsByExpert Panel®,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)May 11, 2026, 08:15am EDT gettyA surge of bug reports and feature requests right after a new product or feature launch doesn’t always mean the release failed. But it can signal that the development team missed something important during planning, user acceptance testing or prelaunch validation.Before a product reaches users, dev teams need to understand not only whether it works but also whether it fits real customer needs, workflows and expectations. Below, members of Forbes Technology Council discuss some of the common reasons dev teams receive a steady stream of bug reports and feature requests shortly after a new product or feature release as well as tips to avoid these costly planning and testing missteps.Prioritize Bugs By Customer JourneyI see this often. The developers are most likely not using weighted defect counts to understand their product bug priorities prior to release. Also, fixing bugs before release requires a certain knowledge base, since fixes can cause other bugs to surface. After 40 years of such work, you know. Further, many just fix bugs without understanding the customer journey. So, the fix is by bug, not by journey! - Mohan Nair, Emerge Inc.Test In Real-World ScenariosThe devs probably did not test in real-life situations. When testing does not reflect how users really behave, problems with certain situations and ease of use go unnoticed. Getting end users involved early and checking against work processes helps you find issues before launch, not after. - Paul Kovalenko, Langate SoftwareForbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?Anticipate User Friction PointsThe devs most likely...