Introducing Novus: The Product Agent

Research Context and Background

Novus is a new tool created by Pendo to help software teams understand their products better. In the world of software development, teams are shipping updates faster than ever before. However, the tools used to track how those updates perform have not kept up. Traditionally, someone has to manually tag features and update dashboards. This human effort creates a problem called analytics drift. As code changes, routes get renamed, and features are refactored, the tracking data often fails to keep up. This gap makes it hard for teams to see how users actually interact with the product. Novus solves this by acting as a product agent that moves at the speed of the codebase. It provides a clear and current picture of how a product works and how people use it. Instead of relying on static documentation or manual tagging, Novus understands the product by reading the code itself. This ensures that the information available to developers and AI tools is always up to date.

Benefits

Novus offers several key advantages for product teams. First, it eliminates the need for manual tagging. The tool understands the product through code analysis, which saves time and reduces errors. Second, it stays current automatically. As the codebase changes, Novus updates its understanding to prevent data from becoming outdated. Third, it provides proactive observation. Instead of waiting for periodic check-ins, Novus surfaces insights continuously. Fourth, it connects insights directly to work. The tool links findings to pull requests and in-product changes, making it easier to act on the data. Finally, it keeps humans in the loop. The team always decides what ships. Novus proposes changes, but humans must approve them. This ensures safety while speeding up the development process.

Use Cases

Novus is designed for software teams that want to improve their product intelligence. It works well for teams with fast-moving codebases that need to track features and user behavior accurately. The tool follows a continuous loop from code connection to automated investigation. When a developer connects a GitHub repository, Novus begins reading the code to build a living map of the product. This map includes routes, UI elements, user identification patterns, and workflows. When a developer pushes a change and opens a pull request, Novus runs two parallel checks. It analyzes what changed to see if instrumentation needs updating. It also evaluates whether the new experience will work for users. For example, it can flag issues like wrong color semantics, inconsistent interaction patterns, or accessibility gaps. If behavioral data exists, Novus backs these findings with real usage statistics. When a meaningful change merges, Novus automatically sets up the launch. It creates feature flags with rollout segments and attaches in-product guides to the new experience. Developers can also set goals in plain language, such as increasing adoption of a new flow. Novus maps this goal to its existing artifacts and frames future signals against that objective. If a launch underperforms, Novus surfaces a narrative explanation backed by data. Developers can trigger an investigation where the tool cross-correlates behavioral data, pulls in session replays, and root-causes the issue. It then produces a fix plan at the code level.

Pricing

Pricing details for Novus are not available at this time. The tool is currently in closed beta, and specific pricing plans have not been announced.

Vibes

Public reception for Novus is based on its status as a closed beta tool. Pendo is actively refining the system based on feedback from design partners, product engineers, and technical product owners. Teams joining the beta are experiencing what Novus can surface before they have even told it anything about their product goals. While the system works effectively for many teams, Pendo is still iterating on areas like instrumentation accuracy and the review workflow. The goal is to find the right level of human control in the review process. By joining the beta, teams can help shape the future of continuous product intelligence.

Additional Information

Novus is currently in closed beta. Pendo is looking for design partners, product engineers, and technical product owners with fast-moving codebases to help shape the future of the tool. The company is actively refining several areas, including instrumentation accuracy, the review workflow, and the scope of what the tool handles. Novus currently handles human-generated flows well, leveraging Pendo's existing infrastructure in analytics, session replay, and feedback. The tool is designed with strict safety guardrails. It never merges code without explicit human approval. Nothing reaches production without a sign-off. Novus does not train on proprietary code, and it does not cut the team out of the decision-making process.