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#007 w/ Mirela Mus: A feature removal that breached customer contracts
Mirela is CPO & Founder at Product People.
In this week's episode of the Hotfix podcast, we had a chat with Mirela Mus. Mirela is CPO and founder of Product People. Product People is a product management agency that fills temporary product roles, e.g. due to paternity leaves. This type of PM role has given Mirela a wealth of experience. She has over 12 years of experience in product management, including more than 5 years as a product manager. She has worked in more than 20 different companies as a product manager or leader!
In her story of failure, she recounted a time when she worked for a large, global B2B2C marketplace. The supply side of the marketplace was B2B customers offering their goods. The other side were the consumers who bought those goods. Most successful marketplace models are B2B2C. Examples are Airbnb, Booking or Fiverr.
Mirelas failure story
Mirelas failure story, was about a legal risk her team has overlooked. The company Mirela worked for at the time operated a complex platform that served both sides of the market: B2B vendors and B2C customers. Mirela's team was responsible for leading a global initiative that tried to aggregate technical systems and harmonise user experience across different markets. This involved removing features and deleting lines of code. Especially on the B2B side.
During this process, a feature was removed that was embedded in certain contractual agreements with B2B customers. Once implemented, the removal triggered a reaction from affected customers. This ultimately resulted in legal threats and intense pressure on the product and support teams.
The concept of “Contract debt”
Mirela's story reminded me of a number of situations I've experienced myself working in B2B SaaS companies. I've also been in a situation where we've removed or changed features, that were included in some old customer contracts.
Just as technical debt accumulates with quick fixes, "contract debt" arises when sales teams introduce custom clauses or features to close deals. Over time, these special cases restrict a product teams' agility. These custom clauses can be wide-spread across multiple contracts and might be protecting certain areas of your product. The product team might not be aware that certain parts are “protected”. It can become difficult to gain an overview of this ‘contract debt’. It will also hinder product teams in designing the best user experience possible. Sometimes it might be necessary to remove features. For example, when the product team has found a better way of solving a problem.
Contract debt therefore not only hurts scalability revenue-wise, but also hinders innovation.
How to avoid and deal with contract debt
In a healthy SaaS company with a well-established product-market fit, customer contracts should ideally be standardized across the board. This consistency enables the product team to deliver an exceptional user experience and fully realize the scalability advantages of SaaS. When your team is tasked with maintaining unique features for individual customers, it disrupts efficiency and undermines the core benefits of the model.
Of course, this is the ideal scenario. In reality, the pressures of B2B sales often lead to customized contract clauses. Sales teams, driven by the urgency to close deals, may prioritize short-term wins over long-term strategic considerations. While these clauses might help secure key accounts, they can accumulate over time, creating "contract debt" that limits the product's flexibility and scalability.
Here are actionable steps for product teams to manage customized contracts effectively:
* Establish Clear Guidelines for Customizations: Define thresholds for when customizations are allowed (e.g., based on deal size or strategic value). Make it clear that deviations from the standard offering are exceptions, not the rule.
* Create a Centralized Repository: Use contract management tools to track and document every contractual obligation tied to specific features. This ensures transparency and prevents surprises during product changes
* Conduct Contractual Impact Reviews: Integrate a "contractual impact review" into the product development process. Before removing or modifying features, assess the risk of breaching any agreements.
* Communicate Proactively with Customers: If changes are necessary, reach out to affected customers early. Explain the rationale behind the decision, highlight potential benefits, and offer alternatives or compensations to mitigate any negative impact.
What else die we talk about in the episode?
Fractional Product Leadership
Fractional product leaders like Mirela step in during times of change—parental leaves, organizational transformations, or post-merger integrations. Unlike traditional product managers who might spend years embedded in a company’s culture, fractional PMs offer fresh perspectives without getting bogged down by internal politics.
One of Mirela’s key points was how fractional PMs avoid "empire building" behaviors. Instead, their focus is on outcomes: solving problems, empowering teams, and creating scalable systems that remain long after their engagement ends.
The Shifting Job Market for PMs
Companies today are often looking for experienced professionals who can make an immediate impact. Mirela’s advice? If you’re in a stable job, consider staying put for now.
A Call for Transparency
Mirela also emphasized a broader leadership challenge: the need for clarity and alignment in goals. Leaders should openly share their company’s strategic direction with their teams. Whether it’s preparing for a funding round, an acquisition, or long-term growth, transparency ensures that every decision supports the company’s ultimate objectives.
The Future of Product Management
As automation takes over repetitive tasks (like data analysis and basic reporting), product managers will need to lean heavily into strategic thinking and decision-making. The complexity of cross-functional collaboration will increase. PMs must master stakeholder alignment, ensuring that teams across engineering, marketing, sales, and leadership are working toward shared objectives.
Links
Link to Podcast Episode
* 📹 YouTube
* 🔊 Spotify
* 🔊 Apple Music
In case you want to reach out, please do so on LinkedIn:
* ❤️🩹 Follow Hotfix: https://pal.bio/the-hotfix-podcast
* 🎙️ Follow Christoph: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophbodenstein/
* 🎙️ Follow Stefan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-pernek-629901107/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thehotfixpodcast.substack.com
View all episodes
By The Hotfix PodcastMirela is CPO & Founder at Product People.
In this week's episode of the Hotfix podcast, we had a chat with Mirela Mus. Mirela is CPO and founder of Product People. Product People is a product management agency that fills temporary product roles, e.g. due to paternity leaves. This type of PM role has given Mirela a wealth of experience. She has over 12 years of experience in product management, including more than 5 years as a product manager. She has worked in more than 20 different companies as a product manager or leader!
In her story of failure, she recounted a time when she worked for a large, global B2B2C marketplace. The supply side of the marketplace was B2B customers offering their goods. The other side were the consumers who bought those goods. Most successful marketplace models are B2B2C. Examples are Airbnb, Booking or Fiverr.
Mirelas failure story
Mirelas failure story, was about a legal risk her team has overlooked. The company Mirela worked for at the time operated a complex platform that served both sides of the market: B2B vendors and B2C customers. Mirela's team was responsible for leading a global initiative that tried to aggregate technical systems and harmonise user experience across different markets. This involved removing features and deleting lines of code. Especially on the B2B side.
During this process, a feature was removed that was embedded in certain contractual agreements with B2B customers. Once implemented, the removal triggered a reaction from affected customers. This ultimately resulted in legal threats and intense pressure on the product and support teams.
The concept of “Contract debt”
Mirela's story reminded me of a number of situations I've experienced myself working in B2B SaaS companies. I've also been in a situation where we've removed or changed features, that were included in some old customer contracts.
Just as technical debt accumulates with quick fixes, "contract debt" arises when sales teams introduce custom clauses or features to close deals. Over time, these special cases restrict a product teams' agility. These custom clauses can be wide-spread across multiple contracts and might be protecting certain areas of your product. The product team might not be aware that certain parts are “protected”. It can become difficult to gain an overview of this ‘contract debt’. It will also hinder product teams in designing the best user experience possible. Sometimes it might be necessary to remove features. For example, when the product team has found a better way of solving a problem.
Contract debt therefore not only hurts scalability revenue-wise, but also hinders innovation.
How to avoid and deal with contract debt
In a healthy SaaS company with a well-established product-market fit, customer contracts should ideally be standardized across the board. This consistency enables the product team to deliver an exceptional user experience and fully realize the scalability advantages of SaaS. When your team is tasked with maintaining unique features for individual customers, it disrupts efficiency and undermines the core benefits of the model.
Of course, this is the ideal scenario. In reality, the pressures of B2B sales often lead to customized contract clauses. Sales teams, driven by the urgency to close deals, may prioritize short-term wins over long-term strategic considerations. While these clauses might help secure key accounts, they can accumulate over time, creating "contract debt" that limits the product's flexibility and scalability.
Here are actionable steps for product teams to manage customized contracts effectively:
* Establish Clear Guidelines for Customizations: Define thresholds for when customizations are allowed (e.g., based on deal size or strategic value). Make it clear that deviations from the standard offering are exceptions, not the rule.
* Create a Centralized Repository: Use contract management tools to track and document every contractual obligation tied to specific features. This ensures transparency and prevents surprises during product changes
* Conduct Contractual Impact Reviews: Integrate a "contractual impact review" into the product development process. Before removing or modifying features, assess the risk of breaching any agreements.
* Communicate Proactively with Customers: If changes are necessary, reach out to affected customers early. Explain the rationale behind the decision, highlight potential benefits, and offer alternatives or compensations to mitigate any negative impact.
What else die we talk about in the episode?
Fractional Product Leadership
Fractional product leaders like Mirela step in during times of change—parental leaves, organizational transformations, or post-merger integrations. Unlike traditional product managers who might spend years embedded in a company’s culture, fractional PMs offer fresh perspectives without getting bogged down by internal politics.
One of Mirela’s key points was how fractional PMs avoid "empire building" behaviors. Instead, their focus is on outcomes: solving problems, empowering teams, and creating scalable systems that remain long after their engagement ends.
The Shifting Job Market for PMs
Companies today are often looking for experienced professionals who can make an immediate impact. Mirela’s advice? If you’re in a stable job, consider staying put for now.
A Call for Transparency
Mirela also emphasized a broader leadership challenge: the need for clarity and alignment in goals. Leaders should openly share their company’s strategic direction with their teams. Whether it’s preparing for a funding round, an acquisition, or long-term growth, transparency ensures that every decision supports the company’s ultimate objectives.
The Future of Product Management
As automation takes over repetitive tasks (like data analysis and basic reporting), product managers will need to lean heavily into strategic thinking and decision-making. The complexity of cross-functional collaboration will increase. PMs must master stakeholder alignment, ensuring that teams across engineering, marketing, sales, and leadership are working toward shared objectives.
Links
Link to Podcast Episode
* 📹 YouTube
* 🔊 Spotify
* 🔊 Apple Music
In case you want to reach out, please do so on LinkedIn:
* ❤️🩹 Follow Hotfix: https://pal.bio/the-hotfix-podcast
* 🎙️ Follow Christoph: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophbodenstein/
* 🎙️ Follow Stefan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-pernek-629901107/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thehotfixpodcast.substack.com