Escaping the Build Trap

How Effective Product Management Creates Real Value

By: Melissa Perri

Narrated by: Erin deWard

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 outputs often fall into the "build trap", cranking out features to meet their schedule rather than the customer's needs.

In this book, Melissa Perri explains how laying the foundation for great product management can help companies solve real customer problems while achieving business goals. By understanding how to communicate and collaborate within a company structure, you can create a product culture that benefits both the business and the customer. You'll learn product management principles that can be applied to any organization, big or small.

In five parts, this book explores:

• Why organizations ship features rather than cultivate the value those features represent
• How to set up a product organization that scales
• How product strategy connects a company's vision and economic outcomes back to the product activities
• How to identify and pursue the right opportunities for producing value through an iterative product framework
• How to build a culture focused on successful outcomes over outputs

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Melissa Perri (P)2020 Tantor

How to be a product manager

Extremely tactical and practical overview of product t management. Recommend for anyone interested in the role, and for anyone who has to manage PMs.

Odd narration practice

I am enjoying the content of this book and it seems to be valuable and on point. However the narrator’s practice of altering her voice to sound deeper and gruffer when quoting men is really distracting. Imagine if a male narrator put on a higher pitched voice to indicate he was quoting a woman…he’d be labelled sexist! It detracts from the quotes themselves.

Excellent blend of stories and techniques

I loved how Melissa explains what is the build trap, and gives great advices on how to escape it (it takes time and entire organization mindset change).
I especially enjoyed the wrapping "Marketly" story!

Must-Read AND Must-Listen

Not only is this book a must-read for any Product Manager, but the captivating narration by Erin deWard is a must-listen.

There will be the inevitable comparisons to Marty Cagan’s “Inspired”, but for Product Managers I’d say “Escaping The Build Trap” beats out “Inspired”. Whereas Cagan’s book evangelizes companies, especially CEOs, to become product-led organizations, here Melissa Perri provides a framework with actionable steps for Product Managers and Product Leaders to actually make it happen.

Furthermore, the audiobook for “Inspired” was plagued with inconsistent narration; the listener can clearly hear where re-recorded sections were cut into the original mix, usually at a slightly slower narration pace or with a noticeably less enthusiastic tone, which I found highly distracting. In “Escaping The Build Trap”, Erin deWard’s narration is a highly engaging and a pleasure to listen to. She keeps her tone consistent throughout, and the sound mixing is exceptional—it almost sounds as if the book had been recorded in a seamless take. Bravo!

How to build a product without building too much.

This is a very good book on the principles of product development, emphasizing the importance of experimentation. It guides you on how to tackle product discovery while spotlighting the most common pitfalls. I found myself nodding along as the book described various bad practices; it seems I've encountered them all 😅.