How to justify resume points where you have not created any impact as a PM? You had no choice but to just build these features

Well, hopefully you've created some kind of impact. It may be that it's not obvious what that impact was, but hopefully the company, the product, and the market has done something in your tenure at this organization. Even if you've just executed off of a specific task list of features, hopefully some of them added some value to your community, to your users, and to the outcome of the business. And in that case, I'd highlight what happened to the product while you were there. Did you grow? Did you raise money? Did you achieve an outcome? Was there revenue growth? Point to those things, and people will connect the dots that hopefully your work had something to do with it.

That said, it's always much more ideal to have a very direct link between the stuff that you've done and the outcomes you've driven, which is why I just tell PMs to be laser focused on actual outcomes, rather than checklists and processes. Actually focus on the substance of what you're doing, what you're accomplishing, and the results you're delivering. So best not to find yourself in a situation like this if possible, but if you do, yeah, just do your best and fall back on the broader accomplishments of the organization and try to do better in your next role.

Impact as a PM extends beyond direct revenue or cost savings. Consider these aspects when justifying resume points:

1. User growth or retention: Did the feature help sustain or expand your user base?

2. Engagement: How did the feature affect user interaction with the product?

3. Product value: Did it add foundational elements crucial for long-term success?

4. Competitive parity: Was it necessary to keep pace with market standards?

5. Future potential: Did it lay groundwork for upcoming strategic initiatives?

Focus on the metric you used (or would use) to define success for each feature. Even if you "just built" something, frame it in terms of its intended impact on these broader product and business goals. This approach demonstrates your strategic thinking and ability to align features with overarching objectives, key skills for any PM.