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Creativity18 min read
Escaping the Build Trap
by Melissa Perri
How Effective Product Management Creates Real Value
Published: October 9, 2024
Table of Contents
1
what’s in it for me? break free from the build trap and deliver meaningful outcomes, not just features.2
breaking free from the build trap3
the product manager’s role in escaping the build trap4
aligning strategy to vision for lasting product success5
mastering the product management process with the product kata6
building a product-led organization for lasting success7
final summaryBook Summary
This is a comprehensive summary of “Escaping the Build Trap” by Melissa Perri. The book explores how effective product management creates real value.
what’s in it for me? break free from the build trap and deliver meaningful outcomes, not just features.#
Introduction
melissa perri, escaping the build trap.
how effective product management creates real value.
imagine you're leading a product development team and despite releasing feature after feature, you're not seeing improvements in user satisfaction or business growth.
the hard work is there, the releases are happening, but the results are flat.
why?
it's because too many organisations fall into the trap of equating more features with more success.
they focus on outputs, what they build, without considering whether those features are actually solving customer problems or driving meaningful outcomes.
this is a common pitfall in product strategy and development, and it can be disastrous for a company's long-term success.
the solution is a fundamental shift in mindset.
teams need to stop obsessing over the number of features they can deliver and start focusing on creating true value for their users.
this requires aligning the entire organisation, teams, processes and metrics around customer needs and business outcomes.
in this chapter, you'll learn how to recognise when you're caught in the build trap and the key role product managers play in guiding organisations out of it.
you'll explore the product cutter, a structured approach that helps teams shift focus from delivering features to solving meaningful problems.
by aligning business goals with customer needs and prioritising impactful work, you'll learn how to foster a product-led organisation that drives lasting growth and success.
so to begin, let's explore what it actually means to be stuck in the build trap.
breaking free from the build trap#
breaking free from the build trap.
at marquetli, a rapidly growing online education company, chaos erupted as teams struggled to keep up with the demands for new features.
despite shipping 10 new features in one month, the company saw no improvement in customer satisfaction or revenue growth.
the problem wasn't a lack of effort or technical skills.
it was a misaligned focus on outputs instead of outcomes.
this situation is a common trap many companies fall into, where they focus on shipping features but fail to deliver real value.
this is the build trap.
it occurs when organisations measure success by the quantity of features delivered rather than the impact those features have.
teams spend money and work tirelessly to produce and ship new features, but if those features don't solve real customer problems, they ultimately provide little value.
when a company becomes stuck in the build trap, it risks losing market share and being outpaced by competitors that focus on customer needs and long-term business goals.
one of the core reasons companies fall into this trap is a misunderstanding of what value truly is.
value isn't the number of features shipped, but rather the benefit those features provide to users.
to create real value, companies need to understand their customers' problems, wants and needs deeply.
when teams don't have this insight, they measure success by outputs.
how many features are delivered, rather than focusing on outcomes such as customer satisfaction or revenue growth?
many organisations also struggle with poor strategic alignment.
different teams may have different priorities, leading to a lack of focus on the company's overall goals.
without clear alignment on what matters most, efforts are spread too thin and progress stalls.
in addition, rigid internal processes often discourage experimentation and iteration, forcing teams to rush features out the door without adequate testing or refinement.
escaping the build trap starts with changing how success is measured, ensuring that product teams are rewarded for delivering value rather than just shipping features.
it also requires creating a product-led organisation, where product development is aligned with business goals and every project contributes to the long-term success of the product.
by making these changes, companies can stop the cycle of feature overload and start delivering products that truly meet customer needs and drive business growth.
but how can you actually implement these changes?
in the next section, we'll explore the critical role of product managers in leading this transformation.
the product manager’s role in escaping the build trap#
the product manager's role in escaping the build trap many product managers start their careers with a clear misconception.
they think their role is about delivering features, writing specifications and making sure things get built on time.
however, simply shipping features quickly does not ensure success.
to avoid falling into the build trap, product managers must take on a deeper, more strategic role.
their job is to create real value by aligning business goals with customer needs.
so, how's this done?
a great product manager understands that their role is not just about delivering what stakeholders ask for.
instead, they must figure out why they're building something and how it aligns with the company's broader strategy.
rather than acting as a mini-ceo or merely taking orders, successful product managers act as facilitators.
they gather input from various teams, analyse data and guide the team in making decisions that drive business and customer value.
one common mistake product managers make is becoming reactive, simply implementing stakeholder requests without questioning whether those solutions solve real problems.
instead, they should focus on understanding their users' needs and identifying the most impactful solutions.
this requires the product manager to be both a strategic thinker and an effective communicator, working closely with developers, designers and business leaders to ensure the right products are being built.
successful product managers use experimentation and data to validate their decisions, reducing risks and increasing the chances of delivering successful outcomes.
take the example of megan, a product manager at a bank, who wanted to improve the mortgage application process.
by identifying a key pain point – customers having to visit a bank branch for document verification – she and her team ran small experiments to test online solutions.
this worked to improve customer satisfaction, while also aligning directly with the business goal of increasing completed applications.
finally, product managers must also be aware of their limitations.
they don't need to be experts in every field, but they should know enough about technology and the market to make informed decisions and work effectively with their teams.
in short, escaping the build trap requires product managers to focus on outcomes, not just outputs.
by asking the right questions, involving their teams and validating their decisions with data, they can guide their organisations towards success.
next, we'll look at how to create a product strategy that ensures everyone is working toward the same goals.
aligning strategy to vision for lasting product success#
adding strategy to vision for lasting product success in 2005, netflix had established itself as a leader in the dvd rental business with over 4 million subscribers.
however, its founder, reed hastings, already saw a future in streaming.
while dvds were still the core of the business, hastings recognised that delivering entertainment via the internet would eventually replace physical media.
netflix even developed its own streaming device.
but just days before launch, hastings made the bold decision to cancel the project.
why?
simply put, it didn't align with netflix's long-term vision of being a software-driven entertainment provider.
instead, they partnered with companies like microsoft to bring netflix to existing hardware, such as the xbox.
this decisive move highlights an essential lesson.
strategy is not a rigid plan, but a flexible framework that helps guide decision-making toward a company's vision.
a good strategy connects the overall vision to practical outcomes and initiatives.
rather than being a detailed roadmap of every feature or task, it should provide a framework that enables teams to make decisions in line with broader business goals.
companies that focus on executing a long list of features without questioning their impact often fall into the build trap, creating products or services that don't truly solve customer problems or drive growth.
strategy, therefore, isn't about completing a checklist of features but about aligning everyone around shared outcomes.
teams should understand the why, what the company is aiming to achieve, rather than just focusing on the what or specific tasks.
this alignment empowers teams to creatively solve problems and deliver real value, instead of simply executing a list of features sent down by leadership.
too often, management assigns tasks or features without clarifying how they align with broader business goals, leaving teams uncertain about the purpose of their work.
instead, leadership should focus on communicating strategic intents – high-level goals that guide decision-making while giving teams the autonomy to determine the best ways to achieve those goals.
by maintaining focus on strategic intents, companies can avoid the build trap and ensure that every product or initiative is contributing to long-term success.
in the next section, you'll see how the product management process can help execute these strategies with one useful tool.
mastering the product management process with the product kata#
mastering the product management process with the product cutter by now, you should be well acquainted with the concept of the build trap – getting stuck in a cycle of delivering feature after feature without addressing the real issues your users face.
so, what tools can product managers use to break free from this cycle?
enter the product cutter – a structured, repeatable process that helps product managers shift their focus from merely shipping features to solving meaningful problems.
named after the martial arts technique, the product cutter is a series of steps designed to help you identify the right problems and test potential solutions before committing to full-scale development.
it's about breaking free from the build trap, where output is mistaken for value.
instead, you shift to a mindset of experimentation and learning.
the first step in the product cutter is setting a clear goal.
this goal should align with the company's overall strategy and desired business outcomes.
it isn't enough to say you want to deliver a feature – you need to understand the problem the feature is trying to solve.
for instance, maybe your goal is to increase customer retention or improve the user experience for content creators.
next, you evaluate the current state.
this means gathering data and talking to users to see where things stand.
where are the roadblocks?
what are the biggest challenges preventing you from achieving your goal?
for example, you might find that customers are dropping off after a few months because they can't find the content they're looking for, or that teachers are struggling to upload new courses because the platform is too complicated.
once you understand the current state, identify the biggest obstacle in your way.
this is the core issue you need to address to move closer to your goal.
for example, if teachers are having trouble uploading content, the problem might not just be a clunky interface.
perhaps they're spending too much time editing videos and don't know how to create engaging content efficiently.
now, experiment with potential solutions.
instead of jumping to build a full-scale feature, start small.
run a quick test or try a manual workaround, like offering to help teachers edit their videos to see if it makes a difference.
the goal is to learn what works and what doesn't before committing resources.
finally, reflect on the results.
did the experiment work?
what did you learn?
use this information to refine your approach and move forward with more confidence.
the key is to keep iterating, continuously learning and staying focused on the real problems that matter to your users.
by following the product cutter, you shift from building more to building better, delivering solutions that truly meet user needs.
this approach is key to creating a product-led organisation that consistently delivers value and drives long-term success.
in the final section, we'll bring together everything we've learned to discover what it truly means to become a product-led organisation.
building a product-led organization for lasting success#
building a product-led organisation for lasting success.
in 2008, a team from cornell university worked with kodak to pitch a new idea, integrating kodak's camera technology into smartphones and developing mobile photo editing features.
despite the clear opportunity, kodak hesitated and within a few years, the market moved forward without them.
kodak's failure to innovate quickly highlighted a deeper organisational problem.
they weren't product-led and this cost them dearly.
a product-led organisation focuses on outcomes over outputs.
leaders in these organisations encourage their teams to get close to customers, learn about their needs and align their efforts toward delivering solutions that move the business forward.
the focus is on creating value for users and achieving long-term goals rather than just completing projects.
to facilitate this, communication and transparency across the organisation are key.
in product-led companies, regular meetings are held to assess progress on goals, review experiments and adjust strategies.
leaders gain visibility into what's being achieved while teams remain aligned with broader company goals.
this approach keeps the organisation agile and focused on outcomes.
in these companies, roadmaps are flexible, living documents that evolve as more is learned through research and experimentation.
they are used to guide strategic discussions, not as fixed plans locked into rigid timelines.
the organisation's ability to adapt is also supported by how they handle budgeting.
instead of allocating all funds for the year up front, product-led organisations distribute resources incrementally, much like a venture capitalist.
teams request funding at each stage of product development as they validate the potential of new ideas.
another critical aspect is how success is measured and rewarded.
traditional organisations often incentivise delivering features, which can lead to wasted effort on unimportant projects.
in a product-led company, rewards are tied to learning, innovation and achieving meaningful outcomes.
this approach encourages experimentation and fosters a culture of safety where teams can test ideas, learn from failures and quickly iterate without fear of punishment.
all of this requires leadership to buy in and lead by example.
by fostering customer centricity, aligning goals with business outcomes and promoting a culture of continuous improvement, any organisation can escape the build trap and become truly product-led.
final summary#
Conclusion
in this chapter-2, escaping the build trap, by melissa perry, you've learned that focusing solely on shipping features can lead organisations into the build trap, where money and effort doesn't translate into meaningful outcomes.
to break free, teams need a shift in mindset, from prioritising outputs to delivering real value that meets customer needs and supports business goals.
the product cutter offers a practical framework for making this shift by promoting continuous experimentation, learning and iteration.
through this structured approach, product managers can help their teams solve real problems, make data-driven decisions and align strategy with customer-centric outcomes.
ultimately, fostering a product-led organisation through these methods drives sustainable growth and lasting success for any business.
okay, that's it for this chapter.
we hope you enjoyed it.
if you can, please take the time to leave us a rating.
we always appreciate your feedback.
see you in the next chapter.
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