Escaping the Build Trap
by Melissa Perri
Overview
To stay competitive in today's market, organizations need to adopt a culture of customer-centric practices that focus on outcomes rather than outputs. Companies that live and die by shipping features are stuck in the "build trap." In Escaping the Build Trap, Melissa Perri explains how to create a product-led organization that is guided by outcomes rather than features.
Key Takeaways
- Shift from output to outcome-driven thinking
- Build a product-led organization
- Effective product strategy and vision
- Product operations and processes
Who Should Read This Book?
Why Read Escaping the Build Trap?
Escaping the Build Trap is widely regarded as essential reading in the product strategy & visionspace for product managers. Melissa Perri's insights have helped thousands of product professionals improve their craft and deliver better products.
Whether you're an aspiring product manager looking to break into the field or an experienced PM seeking to deepen your expertise in product strategy & vision, this book provides practical frameworks and real-world examples that you can apply immediately.
With 1,892 reviews and an average rating of 4.7 out of 5, Escaping the Build Trap has proven its value to the product management community. Join the thousands of professionals who have benefited from this essential resource.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the "build trap"?
The build trap is when organizations become focused on shipping features and outputs rather than achieving outcomes and delivering value. Teams measure success by what they ship rather than the problems they solve or value they create for customers and the business.
How do you escape the build trap?
Melissa Perri outlines a transformation from output-focused to outcome-focused product development. This includes adopting product-led strategy, empowering product teams, implementing continuous discovery, and measuring success by customer and business outcomes rather than feature delivery.
Is this book practical or theoretical?
It's both. Perri provides practical frameworks like the Product Kata and organizational patterns while also explaining the "why" behind product-led transformation. The book is especially valuable for organizations transitioning from project-based to product-based operating models.
Who should read Escaping the Build Trap?
This book is essential for product leaders trying to transform organizations, executives sponsoring product transformations, and individual PMs who want to understand why their organizations struggle with product thinking. It's particularly relevant for companies moving from services to products or from waterfall to agile.
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