escaping-build-trap
Escaping the Build Trap
A diagnostic and corrective framework for product teams and organizations stuck in the "build trap" — the cycle of shipping features without measuring outcomes. Based on Melissa Perri's "Escaping the Build Trap." Includes a pre-mortem checkpoint to detect build-trap patterns before committing to a roadmap.
Core Principle
The build trap is when organizations measure success by outputs (features shipped, story points completed) instead of outcomes (customer problems solved, business metrics moved). Companies fall into the build trap when they become feature factories — taking orders from stakeholders, building what's requested, and never asking "did it work?"
The way out is not a process change or a new tool. It's a fundamental shift in how the organization defines the role of product, how strategy flows from vision to execution, and how success is measured.
Scoring
Goal: 10/10. When evaluating product development practices, rate 0-10:
| Score | Description |
|---|---|
| 0-2 | Deep in the build trap. Roadmap is a feature list from stakeholders. No one tracks whether shipped features achieved anything. |
| 3-4 | Aware of the problem. Some metrics exist, but features are still driven by HiPPO (Highest Paid Person's Opinion) or sales requests. |
| 5-6 | Transitioning. Outcomes are discussed but not consistently used to make decisions. Some teams experiment; others still take orders. |
More from tomaszstaniak/pm-ai-skills
continuous-discovery-habits
Product discovery framework based on Teresa Torres'' "Continuous Discovery Habits". Use when you need to: (1) build an opportunity solution tree from desired outcomes, (2) identify and prioritize customer opportunities, (3) design assumption tests for product ideas, (4) structure customer interview snapshots, (5) map assumptions to experiments, (6) move from output-driven to outcome-driven product development, (7) map current-state customer experiences, (8) build a weekly discovery habit.
13good-strategy
Strategy evaluation and design framework based on Richard Rumelt''s "Good Strategy Bad Strategy" and Michael Porter''s "What Is Strategy?". Use when you need to: (1) evaluate whether a strategy is good or bad, (2) diagnose the core challenge before proposing solutions, (3) build a coherent strategy kernel (diagnosis + guiding policy + coherent actions), (4) stress-test strategic plans with pre-mortem analysis, (5) distinguish strategy from goals, ambitions, or wish lists.
10working-backwards
Amazon''s Working Backwards product development method based on Colin Bryar and Bill Carr''s "Working Backwards". Use when you need to: (1) write a PR/FAQ document for a new product or feature, (2) validate an idea by defining the customer experience first, (3) stress-test a proposal with pre-mortem analysis, (4) align stakeholders around a product vision, (5) decide whether an idea is worth building before writing code.
9positioning-and-pitch
Framework based on April Dunford''s "Obviously Awesome" and "Sales Pitch". Use when you need to: (1) define or evaluate product positioning using the five-component framework, (2) translate positioning into a compelling pitch for stakeholders or buyers, (3) choose a market category strategy that shapes what you build and how you compete, (4) develop differentiated value claims that connect product decisions to market reality, (5) structure a pitch for exec reviews, board updates, or partner conversations, (6) diagnose why your product story isn''t landing with customers or internal stakeholders, (7) align cross-functional teams around a shared positioning narrative, (8) connect positioning decisions to roadmap priorities and feature trade-offs
6first-90-days
Leadership transition framework based on Michael D. Watkins'' "The First 90 Days". Use when you need to: (1) plan onboarding for a new leadership or management role, (2) build a 30-60-90 day plan, (3) diagnose the business situation you''re entering (STARS model), (4) plan critical early conversations with your new boss, peers, and team, (5) identify and avoid common transition traps, (6) accelerate time to value in a new role.
5para-method
Personal knowledge management framework based on Tiago Forte''s "The PARA Method" and "Building a Second Brain". Use when you need to: (1) organize digital information into Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives, (2) build a Second Brain for capturing and retrieving knowledge, (3) apply CODE methodology (Capture, Organize, Distill, Express), (4) design progressive summarization layers, (5) create actionable knowledge management systems, (6) connect knowledge to current projects, (7) reduce information overload through systematic organization.
2