When making products, you can think of them as a collection of features or answers.

Some people may say "you mean features or benefits?" No, I mean answers. Answers are counterpoints to questions people have in their heads. Answers fill holes, answers snap into sockets. Benefits don't have such places in people's minds.

For example, you could make a feature that shows you which tasks are overdue. Or, you can build something that answers the question "What's late?"

You could make a feature that's a timeline of activity. Or, you can build something that answers the question "what's been happening lately?"

You could make a feature that shows where a project stands at this very moment. Or, you can answer the questions "Where are we? How far along are we? How much is left to actually do? And how much time is there to get there? And how do we actually /feel/ about where we're at right now?"

The differences may seem subtle, and I'm sure you can imagine both directions leading down the same path, to the same point, but the mindsets that make each version are quite a bit different. And those mindsets manifest in small ways that add up to big differences in how you approach the solution.

As we continue to improve Basecamp, and build a new version of the basecamp.com site (the image sliver below is from not-yet-launched work in progress), I'm continually thinking about questions and answers vs. features and benefits.

I'd encourage you to do the same.

-Jason