gistfile1.php

<?php // SPECIAL FEATURE CONTENT SHORTCODE

function hpc_special_feature_shortcode( $atts ) {
	extract( shortcode_atts(
		array(
			'type' => '',
			'showposts' => -1,
			'feature' => '',
			'cat' => '',
			'offset' => '',
			'layout' => 'bullets'
		), $atts )
	);

	$hpc_special_feature_query = get_transient( 'hpc_special_feature_query_' . $type . '_' . $showposts . '_' . $feature . '_' . $cat . '_' . $offset );
	if( $hpc_special_feature_query === false ) {
		$hpc_special_feature_query = new WP_Query( array(
			'post_type' => $type,
			'showposts' => $showposts,
			'tax_query' => array(
				array(
					'taxonomy' => 'special-feature',
					'field' => 'slug',
					'terms' => $feature
				)
			),
			'category_name' => $cat,
			'offset' => $offset
		) );
		set_transient( 'hpc_special_feature_query_' . $type . '_' . $showposts . '_' . $feature . '_' . $cat . '_' . $offset, $hpc_special_feature_query, 60*3 );
	}
	
	ob_start(); ?>

	<div class="<?php echo $feature; ?>-content <?php echo $type; ?> <?php echo $layout; ?>">
		<?php if( $layout == 'bullets' ) { ?>
			// BULLETS LOOP - NOT IMPORTANT FOR EXAMPLE
		<?php } elseif( $layout == 'small-feature' ) { ?>
			// SMALL FEATURE LOOP - NOT IMPORTANT FOR EXAMPLE
		<?php } elseif( $layout == 'big-feature' ) { ?>
			// BIG FEATURE LOOP - NOT IMPORTANT FOR EXAMPLE
		<?php } elseif( $layout == 'small-excerpt' ) { ?>
			// SMALL EXCERPT LOOP - NOT IMPORTANT FOR EXAMPLE
		<?php } ?>
	</div>
	
	<?php $output = ob_get_contents();
	ob_end_clean();
	return $output;
	wp_reset_postdata();
}

add_shortcode( 'special-feature-content', 'hpc_special_feature_shortcode' );

Why return $output and then have wp_reset_postdata after that? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?