Clear Out-of-Scope: Nice-to-Have Feature

Scope Analysis: Animated Avatar Feature

Decision: OUT OF SCOPE for Q1 Auth MVP

Confidence Level: High

Strategic Alignment Analysis

| Criteria | Assessment | Details |
|–––––|————|———||
| Supports Primary Goal | No | Primary goal is 2FA support for authentication security. Animated avatars are cosmetic/engagement features unrelated to auth security. |
| Required for Core Value | No | Core value is secure authentication. Avatars don’t impact authentication functionality or security posture. |
| Aligns with Success Metrics | No | Auth MVP success measures security adoption, not user delight features. |
| Timeline Compatible | No | March 31 deadline is 117 days away. Adding non-essential features puts 2FA delivery at risk. |

Resource Impact Assessment

Effort: Medium-Large (2-3 weeks)

Components: Avatar animation system, asset pipeline integration, rendering library integration, animation states/transitions, user preferences storage, UI controls for avatar selection/customization, mobile/web rendering consistency, performance optimization for animations.

Opportunity Cost: Would require reducing testing time for 2FA implementation or cutting authentication-related features (SSO integration, backup codes, recovery flows).

Timeline Impact: Best case 1-week delay; realistic 2-3 week delay to late April.

Risk Factors

• Scope creep pattern: “Nice-to-have” feature expanding security-focused scope
• Strategic dilution: Diverts engineering focus from critical security deliverables
• Timeline risk: Endangers March 31 launch commitment
• Technical debt: Rushed implementation to meet deadline creates maintenance burden
• User perception misalignment: Shipping avatars without complete 2FA undermines trust in security-first positioning

Recommendation: Defer to Q2 User Engagement Phase

Stakeholder Communication

Subject: Re: Animated Avatar Feature Request

Hi [User],

Thank you for the creative suggestion on animated avatars - I can see how that would add personality to the experience.

Decision: I recommend we keep animated avatars out of scope for the March 31 auth MVP and prioritize them for Q2 User Engagement (April-June).

Rationale: Q1 MVP is focused entirely on delivering production-ready 2FA support. This is a security-critical feature that requires our full engineering attention for implementation, testing, and security audits.

Adding animated avatars now would:

• Delay the March 31 launch by 2-3 weeks (mid-to-late April)
• Require cutting planned auth features (backup codes, recovery flows, or SSO prep)
• Split focus between security-critical work and visual enhancements
• Risk shipping incomplete 2FA to meet the original deadline

Alternative - Q2 User Engagement Phase:

• Timeline: May launch (right after auth stabilization)
• Scope: Avatar system with animations, customization, and profile integration
• Sequencing: Build on secure auth foundation with proper dev time
• Bonus: Can gather user feedback on auth experience to inform engagement features

Interim option:

• Static avatars or initials can be added to Q1 with minimal effort (2-3 days)
• Provides visual personalization without timeline impact
• Creates foundation for Q2 animation enhancement

You flagged this as “nice-to-have” which is perfect framing - it’s a great feature for the right release. Let me know if static avatars would address the near-term need, or if you’d prefer to wait for the full animated version in Q2.

Trade-off Documentation

Preserved by saying no:

• March 31 launch date
• Complete 2FA implementation with security hardening
• Team capacity for auth testing and security review
• Strategic focus on security/trust foundation

Deferred:

• Animated avatars → Q2 User Engagement (May)
• Visual personalization features → post-auth launch

Conditions for reconsideration:

• Strategic pivot to prioritize user engagement over auth completion
• March 31 deadline extended to late April/May
• User explicitly elevates priority from “nice-to-have” to “required for launch”
• External dependency (e.g., marketing commitment) ties avatars to Q1