What does the term "Shiny Thing Syndrome" refer to?

The term "Shiny Thing Syndrome" refers to the phenomenon where individuals or teams become easily distracted by new ideas, features, or trends, leading them to abandon or neglect their current projects or priorities. In the context of customer success management, this syndrome often manifests as a tendency to prioritize the development of new features over the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). When teams chase after the latest and most exciting initiatives, they may lose sight of the fundamental product that fulfills customer needs, undermining their overall goals and strategies.

By neglecting MVP development in favor of new features, organizations risk diminishing the value they provide to their customers and complicating their product roadmap. This can result in poor customer experience and hinder the overall progress of the core product's improvement. Therefore, recognizing and managing this syndrome is critical for customer success managers who need to maintain focus on delivering consistent value to their users.