{"id":15621,"date":"2022-11-05T13:27:29","date_gmt":"2022-11-05T13:27:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T22:19:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T22:19:40","slug":"escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/","title":{"rendered":"The Build Trap: How can Product Managers Escape It by Melissa Perri"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What is the build trap? How do teams fall into it? What can <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/role\/product-management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">product managers<\/a> do to escape it?<\/p>\n<p>These are just a few of the questions that Melissa Perri, a product consultant and the author of <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Escaping-Build-Trap-Melissa-Perri\/dp\/149197379X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Escaping the Build Trap<\/a><\/em>, discusses in her presentation she delivered at the <a href=\"https:\/\/summit.productdrive.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Product Drive Summit<\/a> powered by <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/userpilot-demo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Userpilot <\/a>a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"video strchf-type-video regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\">\n<div class=\"embed-container\">\n<div style=\"max-width: 100%; position: relative; height: 400px;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" title=\"Escaping the &quot;Build Trap&quot; by Melissa Perri, Product Drive 2022\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SCyfVeiCjic?feature=oembed&amp;list=PLPmrHP-Q76Q34jBSyk3XSTIB2WGUaq1bB&amp;index=5&amp;ab_channel=Userpilot\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Escaping the Build Trap by Mellisa Perry @ Product Drive 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Would you like to learn a bit more? Let\u2019s get right into it.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"fdl2v\">What is the build trap?<\/h2>\n<p>The build trap is a situation in which the product team keeps developing and <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/feature-release-example\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">releasing new features <\/a>without validating them first or making sure they drive <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-value-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer <\/a>or business value.<\/p>\n<p>Many teams believe that simply adding new features will make <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/successful-good-product-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the product more successful<\/a>. The catch is that the new functionality doesn\u2019t necessarily make the product <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-value-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">more valuable to the users<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-value\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">product value<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no inherent value in the product itself. Products deliver value only when they solve real user problems or satisfy their desires. Adding new features doesn\u2019t increase the value. And no customer value means no business value.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-customer-value_3b5a7709558fa478836f6f81e5a9c831_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-customer-value_3b5a7709558fa478836f6f81e5a9c831_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-customer-value_3b5a7709558fa478836f6f81e5a9c831_800.jpg\" alt=\"If your product doesn\u2019t solve genuine user problems, it also doesn\u2019t drive value for the business\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>If your product doesn\u2019t solve genuine user problems, it also doesn\u2019t drive value for the business.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>What\u2019s more, adding more and more features may actually reduce the value of the product. Such products are often complex and difficult to maintain. From a user perspective, they are also overcomplicated and hard to use.<\/p>\n<p><!-- Main container for the build trap quiz --><\/p>\n<div id=\"build-trap-quiz-container\">\n    <!-- Progress Bar --><\/p>\n<div id=\"progress-bar-container\">\n<div id=\"progress-bar\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <!-- Quiz Content --><\/p>\n<div id=\"quiz\">\n        <!-- Question 1 --><\/p>\n<div class=\"question-slide active\" data-question=\"1\">\n<h3>What&#8217;s the biggest sign your team might be in the build trap?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"answers\">\n<div class=\"answer-btn\">Focusing only on the competition&#8217;s features.<\/div>\n<div class=\"answer-btn\">Constantly shipping features without measuring their impact on user value.<\/div>\n<div class=\"answer-btn\">Spending too much time talking to users and not enough time coding.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <!-- Question 2 --><\/p>\n<div class=\"question-slide\" data-question=\"2\">\n<h3>Why do teams commonly fall into the build trap?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"answers\">\n<div class=\"answer-btn\">They are rewarded for achieving customer outcomes over shipping features.<\/div>\n<div class=\"answer-btn\">They are measured on development velocity and the quantity of outputs.<\/div>\n<div class=\"answer-btn\">They don&#8217;t have enough items in their product backlog.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <!-- Question 3 --><\/p>\n<div class=\"question-slide\" data-question=\"3\">\n<h3>What is the most critical element for escaping the build trap?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"answers\">\n<div class=\"answer-btn\">A detailed roadmap with a long list of features and strict deadlines.<\/div>\n<div class=\"answer-btn\">Hiring more developers to increase the team&#8217;s velocity.<\/div>\n<div class=\"answer-btn\">A clear product strategy that connects team actions to desired business outcomes.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <!-- Final Result Slide --><\/p>\n<div class=\"question-slide\" data-question=\"4\">\n<h3>You&#8217;re thinking like a true product leader.<\/h3>\n<p>Escaping the build trap isn&#8217;t about shipping more; it&#8217;s about delivering real, measurable value. It requires the right strategy, processes, and organization to focus on outcomes, not just outputs. Understanding this is the first step to building products customers truly love and that drive business growth.<\/p>\n<p>            <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/userpilot-demo\/\" target=\"_self\" id=\"final-cta\">See How Userpilot Can Help<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Link to the JavaScript file --><br \/>\n<!-- Make sure to update the src path to where you upload the .js file in WordPress --><br \/>\n<script defer src=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/escaping-build-trap.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"d1qv0\">How do teams fall into the build trap?<\/h2>\n<p>Organizations, however, often forget about this value exchange system and that\u2019s how they fall into the build trap.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-business-customer-value_3b390f2f385958c4d1714d2b7fda049a_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-business-customer-value_3b390f2f385958c4d1714d2b7fda049a_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-business-customer-value_3b390f2f385958c4d1714d2b7fda049a_800.jpg\" alt=\"Customer value translates into business value\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Customer value translates into business value.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>How does it happen?<\/p>\n<p>In short, measuring how successful the product is at driving value for the customers is difficult.<\/p>\n<p>That is why teams are often assessed not by the impact their work makes, but by their velocity. The more features they produce, the more successful the senior stakeholders believe they are. That\u2019s also what they get rewarded for.<\/p>\n<p>To achieve the right delivery pace, such teams work hard on streamlining their processes, not building the right functionality. And they keep adding more and more items to the <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/backlog-grooming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">backlog<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-process-over-strategy_f504aeac841ae5973449bd5c544b2a83_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-process-over-strategy_f504aeac841ae5973449bd5c544b2a83_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-process-over-strategy_f504aeac841ae5973449bd5c544b2a83_800.jpg\" alt=\"Teams focus on the right processes rather than building the right features\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Teams focus on the right processes rather than building the right features.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Excessive focus on quantity rather than the quality of the features, or the outputs rather than the outcomes of their work is the reason for failure.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"38a66\">How do you escape the build trap?<\/h2>\n<p>To escape the build trap, the <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-manager-role\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">product manager<\/a> needs three main ingredients. The strategy, the process, and the organization. What do these all mean?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-process-strategy-organization_45ac5f04996334fba99dcaa71f3a4709_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-process-strategy-organization_45ac5f04996334fba99dcaa71f3a4709_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-process-strategy-organization_45ac5f04996334fba99dcaa71f3a4709_800.jpg\" alt=\"To escape the build trap, teams need the right strategy, processes and organization\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>To escape the build trap, teams need the right strategy, processes, and organization.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"7b4gt\">Product Strategy<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-strategy-development\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Product strategy<\/a> is at the core of every <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/successful-good-product-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">successful product<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/build-trap_dfb0cdebae25c2e9f31b472c5fb6eaf6_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/build-trap_dfb0cdebae25c2e9f31b472c5fb6eaf6_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/build-trap_dfb0cdebae25c2e9f31b472c5fb6eaf6_800.png\" alt=\"Strategy is the key to escaping the build trap\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Strategy is the key to escaping the build trap.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-strategy-development\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Product strategy<\/a> is not a wishlist of features that you want to build or a Gantt chart with the timelines for when each of them will be released.<\/p>\n<p>Such an approach to developing product strategy doesn\u2019t recognize the fact that creating new products involves a lot of uncertainty.<\/p>\n<p>What is product strategy then?<\/p>\n<p>In her presentation, Melissa Peri quotes the definition by Stephen Bungay, the author of the Art of Action:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201c<em>Strategy is a deployable decision-making framework, enabling action to achieve desired outcomes and constrained by current capabilities, coherently aligned to the existing context\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-strategy_4a5ce4eea3677ff5280967c6c9f31763_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-strategy_4a5ce4eea3677ff5280967c6c9f31763_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-strategy_4a5ce4eea3677ff5280967c6c9f31763_800.jpg\" alt=\"Strategy definition\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Strategy definition.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Let\u2019s focus on the most important parts of the definition.<\/p>\n<p>First, it\u2019s a decision-making framework and not a plan. It allows teams to make independent decisions, but it doesn\u2019t tell them what to do.<\/p>\n<p>Next, it\u2019s oriented towards desired outcomes. By outcomes, we mean the impact that the product makes or the positive change that it brings to the customer\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-strategy-deployment_63be810c7ba9b0f3c3c47dd5e194e46f_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-strategy-deployment_63be810c7ba9b0f3c3c47dd5e194e46f_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-strategy-deployment_63be810c7ba9b0f3c3c47dd5e194e46f_800.jpg\" alt=\"Strategy deployment to escape the build trap\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Strategy deployment to escape the build trap.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4 id=\"f3l4f\">Strategy, vision, and strategic intent alignment<\/h4>\n<p>The business strategy consists of the <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-vision\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">business vision<\/a> and strategic intent.<\/p>\n<p>The<em> business vision<\/em> is the long-term goal for the product and the organization or how you imagine them in 5-10 years&#8217; time. The focus is on the value you would like to deliver to the customers &#8211; <em>the outcomes.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>An example of a vision that Melissa Perri gives is:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cIn five years, our company will be the meal kit with the most choices and convenience in the market.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The vision is owned by the CEO and the Senior Leadership.<\/p>\n<p><em>Strategic intent<\/em> is the business challenges that stand in the way of realizing the vision. Going up or down the market or an <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-internationalization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">overseas expansion<\/a> could be examples of actions to tackle such challenges.<\/p>\n<p>For the product with the vision above, the strategic intent would be <em>doubling the acquisition of new customers and maintaining retention by (year).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The challenges are not limited to the product team but encompass all parts of the business. That\u2019s why strategic intent is also the domain of senior leadership.<\/p>\n<p>For the strategy to be effective, the vision and the strategic intent need to be aligned.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/product-strategy-canvas_ad65b0091d55fe3eb2d4e26e59bfacc4_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/product-strategy-canvas_ad65b0091d55fe3eb2d4e26e59bfacc4_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/product-strategy-canvas_ad65b0091d55fe3eb2d4e26e59bfacc4_800.png\" alt=\"Vision and strategic intent alignment\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Vision and strategic intent alignment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4 id=\"e29av\">Business strategy drives product initiatives and options<\/h4>\n<p>Once you have the vision and strategic intent aligned, you start looking at specific product problems. If solved, these problems could help you tackle business challenges. It\u2019s only now that you are starting to look at <em>outputs.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Such product problems are called <em>product initiatives<\/em>. This is the responsibility of the <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-leadership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">product leadership team<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>An example of a product initiative could be, <em>\u201cincreasing conversion rate across all platforms by X% by end of Q2.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Product-initiatives_96afb5fbb6a360294f62ce580420627f_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Product-initiatives_96afb5fbb6a360294f62ce580420627f_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Product-initiatives_96afb5fbb6a360294f62ce580420627f_800.png\" alt=\"Product initiatives\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Product initiatives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The final piece that needs to be aligned is the <em>options<\/em>. These are specific solutions to product problems. That\u2019s where the product development teams play the key role.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Product-Options_198767a705fc8292620fd52d369b5381_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Product-Options_198767a705fc8292620fd52d369b5381_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Product-Options_198767a705fc8292620fd52d369b5381_800.png\" alt=\"Product Options\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Product Options.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Why is the alignment of the vision, strategic intent, product initiatives, and options?<\/p>\n<p>In short, it is necessary that all the team teams in the organization work towards the same goals.<\/p>\n<p>Without high-level alignment, the teams would be swimming in different directions. Needless to say, that won\u2019t bring them any closer to achieving the desired outcomes.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"alput\">Processes<\/h3>\n<p>How do you <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-strategy-development\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">develop your product strategy<\/a>? How do you choose the options that will best address the product problems and as a result will also address the business challenges?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-experimentation-framework\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Experimentation <\/a>is the answer.<\/p>\n<p>As mentioned, creating new products is full of uncertainty. Your product team members, the stakeholders, or the senior leadership may have lots of ideas. However, no matter how brilliant they may seem, there\u2019s no guarantee that they will work.<\/p>\n<p>The only way to find it out is through experimentation.<\/p>\n<p>However, to be able to conduct successful experiments, you need the right processes and <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-management-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-process_7a17c22c9cb2336e4ee7f70b680e4725_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-process_7a17c22c9cb2336e4ee7f70b680e4725_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-process_7a17c22c9cb2336e4ee7f70b680e4725_800.jpg\" alt=\"Having the right processes and tools are necessary to escape the build trap.\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Having the right processes and tools are necessary to escape the build trap.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\">For instance, <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/product\/mobile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mobile features<\/a> can help you onboard and engage mobile app users by creating personalized messaging, push notifications, and surveys, directly supporting these vital feedback and validation loops.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The key stress in the definition is on the word <em>right<\/em>. There are plenty of amazing tools and frameworks out there and they have the potential to revolutionize the way you work.<\/p>\n<p>However, this happens only when you choose the right tools for the task your want to achieve. Blowing most of your budget on the latest tools won\u2019t help if you don\u2019t use them correctly at the right time.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-tools_a98a7e8021d23747aa7fb9515370712f_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-tools_a98a7e8021d23747aa7fb9515370712f_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-tools_a98a7e8021d23747aa7fb9515370712f_800.jpg\" alt=\"escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-tools\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Tools are useless unless you use them correctly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4 id=\"7grd0\">Product Kata<\/h4>\n<p>Product Kata is a framework that guides teams through the <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/improve-feature-discovery-product-adoption\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">discovery process<\/a>. It helps them ensure alignment between all key factors necessary for effective strategy deployment.<\/p>\n<p>During the Planning phase, the team focuses on the product vision and goals. That\u2019s when the senior leaders set the overarching <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/okrs-vs-kpis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">KPIs or OKRs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>They also look into current user behavior patterns that affect the realization of the product vision and achieving the desired outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, they single out the first small goal that will bring them closer to achieving the goals.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-product-kata_f08a6008534e93919ecbe64cbce3248e_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-product-kata_f08a6008534e93919ecbe64cbce3248e_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-product-kata_f08a6008534e93919ecbe64cbce3248e_800.jpg\" alt=\"Product Kata guides teams through product discovery and helps them escape the build trap.\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Product Kata guides teams through product discovery and helps them escape the build trap.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4 id=\"80j15\">Experimentation in Product Kata<\/h4>\n<p>When the Planning stage is over, the product team conducts user research and starts looking at different options to help them achieve the outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s the best way to conduct <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-research-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">user research<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p>There isn\u2019t one. Instead of relying on one single source, use different ways to <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-feedback-collection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">collect information<\/a>. For example, you can collect <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/user-feedback-best-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">user feedback<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/user-feedback-best-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in-app<\/a>, both <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/active-vs-passive-customer-feedback\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">actively and passively<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Next, you can follow this up with user interviews to get a deeper understanding of their pain points.<\/p>\n<p>Apart from arranging chats with your users, ask for insights from your sales and <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-success-vs-customer-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer success<\/a> teams. They interact with your users regularly and have access to lots of anecdotal data.<\/p>\n<p>Talking with customers often proves very productive. It doesn\u2019t just tell you how they feel about the product. They can also be a great source of ideas that would have never occurred to any of your team members.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have some ideas, it\u2019s time to validate them through experimentation.<\/p>\n<p>In <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Escaping-Build-Trap-Melissa-Perri\/dp\/149197379X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Escaping the Build Trap<\/a><\/em>, Melissa introduces a few of her favorite testing techniques like the concierge service or the Wizard of Oz. Both of them require manual work and are not scalable, but allow teams to test ideas on budget.<\/p>\n<p>To make the process productive, teams need to set up a good discovery\/delivery cadence.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-discovery-delivery_bd69eb6d9bfacdee9722292b3694835c_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-discovery-delivery_bd69eb6d9bfacdee9722292b3694835c_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-discovery-delivery_bd69eb6d9bfacdee9722292b3694835c_800.jpg\" alt=\"escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-discovery-delivery\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Discovery\/Delivery cadence.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As the team goes through each stage of Product Kata, they learn and learning is the only way to reduce the uncertainty involved in product development.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"a3kff\">Organization<\/h3>\n<p><em>Organization <\/em>is the third key factor that\u2019s necessary for teams to be able to escape the build trap.<\/p>\n<p>Your organization needs to have the right policies and practices to support the <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/continuous-discovery-framework-teresa-torres\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">discovery<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/iterative-testing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">experimentation<\/a> processes and enable teams to make strategic decisions.<\/p>\n<p>Without them, your team is going to hit one roadblock after another and will not have the autonomy to make independent decisions.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-organization_8a83fe6792b93af8cccd1be694b9a91e_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-organization_8a83fe6792b93af8cccd1be694b9a91e_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-organization_8a83fe6792b93af8cccd1be694b9a91e_800.jpg\" alt=\"The right organizational environment is the third element that is necessary to escape the build trap.\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>The right organizational environment is the third element that is necessary to escape the build trap.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>What are the characteristics of great product organizations?<\/p>\n<p>To start with, they\u2019re easy to scale because they grow through software products, and not unrepeatable processes.<\/p>\n<p>Next, they are driven by solving customer problems and are outcome- not output-oriented.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, great organizations embrace experimentation and are committed to continuous improvement.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in such organizations, teams feel empowered to make independent decisions at all levels.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-great-organizations_2c50efe4ddd748f80f93439efb072bd2_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-great-organizations_2c50efe4ddd748f80f93439efb072bd2_800.jpg 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-great-organizations_2c50efe4ddd748f80f93439efb072bd2_800.jpg\" alt=\"escaping-build-trap-melissa-perri-great-organizations\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Great Product Organizations.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"7tnfj\">People<\/h3>\n<p>To be able to put all three elements in place, your organization needs the right people who will embrace the change and new ways of building products.<\/p>\n<p>This shouldn\u2019t be taken for granted. Why?<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s be honest. Staying in the build trap is comfortable. There\u2019s no uncertainty, no second guessing, and limited risk of \u2018failure\u2019. There are clear and very tangible objectives. You hit them, and you get your quarterly or annual bonus. Job done.<\/p>\n<p>However, this results in unsustainable products that don\u2019t drive <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-value\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">business value.<\/a> And that may mean job redundancies in the not-so-distant future.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"62paf\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Teams fall into the build trap when there is too much focus on delivering features that are not aligned with the overall business objectives and don\u2019t deliver value to the customers.<\/p>\n<p>To escape the trap, you need the right product strategy, processes, and the organization that supports them. And of course, you need the right people on your team.<\/p>\n<p>If you would like to learn how Userpilot can help you escape the build trap, <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/userpilot-demo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">book the demo<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is the build trap? How do teams fall into it? What can product managers do to escape it?  These are just a few of the questions that Melissa Perri, a product consultant and the author of Escaping the Build Trap, discusses in her presentation she delivered at the Product Drive Summit powered by Userpilot a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":15623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[214],"tags":[216,185,215,232,404,932,526,591],"class_list":["post-15621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-product-management","tag-product-management","tag-product-management-tools","tag-product-manager","tag-product-managers","tag-product-team","tag-saas-product-management","tag-saas-product-manager","tag-saas-strategy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Build Trap: How can PMs Escape It Effectively by Melissa Perri<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Teams fall into the build trap when they build features that don&#039;t bring value to the customer. To escape it, you need strategy, processes and organization.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Build Trap: How can PMs Escape It Effectively by Melissa Perri\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Teams fall into the build trap when they build features that don&#039;t bring value to the customer. To escape it, you need strategy, processes and organization.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Thoughts about Product Adoption, User Onboarding and Good UX | Userpilot Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-11-05T13:27:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-26T22:19:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/The-Build-Trap-How-can-Product-Managers-Escape-It-Melissa-Perri-product-drive_4b1d72e71035dfbbc51f4ccf67163bed_2000.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1876\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1228\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sophie Grigoryan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sophie Grigoryan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sophie Grigoryan\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/de37c23746f7aa52492f6c97b1f222cf\"},\"headline\":\"The Build Trap: How can Product Managers Escape It by Melissa Perri\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-05T13:27:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-26T22:19:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/\"},\"wordCount\":2125,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/The-Build-Trap-How-can-Product-Managers-Escape-It-Melissa-Perri-product-drive_4b1d72e71035dfbbc51f4ccf67163bed_2000.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Product Management\",\"product management tools\",\"Product Manager\",\"product managers\",\"product team\",\"saas product management\",\"saas product manager\",\"saas strategy\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Product Management\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/\",\"name\":\"The Build Trap: How can PMs Escape It Effectively by Melissa Perri\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/escaping-build-trap-mellisa-perri\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/The-Build-Trap-How-can-Product-Managers-Escape-It-Melissa-Perri-product-drive_4b1d72e71035dfbbc51f4ccf67163bed_2000.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-05T13:27:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-26T22:19:40+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/de37c23746f7aa52492f6c97b1f222cf\"},\"description\":\"Teams fall into the build trap when they build features that don't bring value to the customer. 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