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Escaping the Build Trap summary

How Effective Product Management Creates Real Value

18 mins

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Escaping the Build Trap by Melissa Perri is a guide for product teams to break free from the "build trap" - the cycle of churning out features without validating their value. It offers strategies for focusing on customer outcomes and building a sustainable product culture.

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    Escaping the Build Trap
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    Breaking free from the build trap

    At Marquetly, a rapidly growing online education company, chaos erupted as teams struggled to keep up with the demands for new features. Despite shipping ten 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 organizations 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 organizations 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 organization, 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.

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    What is Escaping the Build Trap about?

    Escaping the Build Trap (2018) highlights how companies often become fixated on delivering features instead of addressing real customer problems, resulting in wasted resources and missed opportunities. It advocates for a shift toward a product-led approach, where the focus is on creating value and driving meaningful business outcomes. Through the strategies and frameworks presented, organizations can better align product development with customer needs and long-term company goals, fostering sustainable growth and innovation.

    Escaping the Build Trap Review

    Escaping the Build Trap (2018) by Melissa Perri is a must-read for anyone in product management. Here's why this book stands out:
    • Offers insightful strategies for product teams to shift focus from delivering features to delivering value, ensuring long-term success.
    • Provides real-world case studies and actionable advice to help organizations break free from common pitfalls and achieve product excellence.
    • The book's practical approach and emphasis on customer-centricity make it a stimulating read, ensuring it's far from dull.

    Who should read Escaping the Build Trap?

    • Product managers wanting to build smarter, not just faster
    • Leaders looking to boost team effectiveness
    • Anyone frustrated by wasted effort on non-essential features

    About the Author

    Melissa Perri is a product management expert and CEO of Produx Labs, a consultancy specializing in product strategy. She is also a lecturer at Harvard Business School, and has worked extensively with organizations to help them transition from feature-focused development to a product-led approach.

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    Escaping the Build Trap FAQs 

    What is the main message of Escaping the Build Trap?

    The main message of Escaping the Build Trap is breaking free from feature-centric cycles to focus on customer value and growth.

    How long does it take to read Escaping the Build Trap?

    Reading Escaping the Build Trap takes a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in 15 minutes.

    Is Escaping the Build Trap a good book? Is it worth reading?

    Escaping the Build Trap is a must-read for transforming product development strategies. Highly recommended for insights on escaping growth stagnation.

    Who is the author of Escaping the Build Trap?

    Melissa Perri is the author of Escaping the Build Trap.

    What to read after Escaping the Build Trap?

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