Mistake 1: Overlapping theme buckets
The most common error is overlapping buckets — defining themes that overlap, such as UI and UX as separate buckets, so the same note could land in two places. Keep buckets distinct, like Pricing, Bugs, UI/UX, Performance, Other, so each note has one clear home.
Mistake 2: Ignoring the frequency count
Founders sometimes read only the top theme, or treat the count as a precise statistic. Use frequency as a signal of emphasis, not as proof of impact or revenue. A theme can be frequent without being the highest-leverage thing to build.
Mistake 3: Counting duplicates
A single loud user repeating one point can inflate a theme if you count every line. Merge obvious repeats — Pro includes dedupe, and on Free you can do it by eye. Counts are a guide, not a vote tally.
Mistake 4: Treating the top theme as a mandate
The most frequent theme is a suggestion, not a directive. You still weigh it against roadmap, effort, and strategy. Clustering informs the decision; it does not make it.
A simple fix
Use a fixed bucket set, count frequency as a signal, dedupe repeats, and treat the top theme as input to your own prioritization. A tool like FeedbackHub enforces the buckets and count so the manual drift disappears — but the judgment calls remain yours.