The document discusses the "build trap" that product teams can fall into, where they focus on building features without properly validating ideas with customers first. It provides examples of cognitive biases that can lead teams to make assumptions without evidence. The presentation provides recommendations for adopting a lean approach, such as talking to customers early, testing ideas quickly before building them out, prioritizing based on customer needs, and measuring success based on key metrics.

1. The Build Trap
Melissa Perri
@lissijean
#LeanUX15

2. @lissijean#leanUX15
“We don’t have time to build
that. We’re not fast enough.”
“We want to ship 4
new features in the
next quarter.”
“Our customers want
to see our roadmap
for the next year.”
“We hear complaints
from our customers.”
“I’m not sure how to
prioritize requests.”

3. @lissijean#leanUX15
The
Build Trap
@lissijean#leanUX15

4. @lissijean#leanUX15
Idea Product/
Market fit
Iterating
We start off testing and iterating…

5. @lissijean#leanUX15
Idea
Product/
Market fit
Iterating
Build
Build
Build
but we get stuck building and not validating.

6. What is all this shit?
@lissijean#leanUX15

7. @lissijean#leanUX15
Copier
Printer
Scanner
Fax
Stapler
Magician
Satan

8. @lissijean#leanUX15

9. @lissijean#leanUX15

10. @lissijean#leanUX15

11. @lissijean#leanUX15
We keep adding and never take away.
#leanUX15

12. How did
we get
here?
@lissijean#leanUX15

13. @lissijean#leanUX15
Creating new products
is full of uncertainty.

14. Your product
ideas are
biased.
@lissijean#leanUX15

15. @lissijean#leanUX15
We built a mobile app before
and it was successful last time.
We built a mobile app
before and it was
successful last time.
Copycat Experience

16. @lissijean#leanUX15
It’s so groundbreaking,
customers don’t know they
need it yet.
Steve Jobs Complex

17. @lissijean#leanUX15
80% of users log on
every day.
Anchoring

18. @lissijean#leanUX15
Problem
Customers don’t
have custom
dashboards.

19. @lissijean#leanUX15
Problem
Customers don’t
have custom
dashboards.
Solution
Custom
dashboards.

20. @lissijean#leanUX15
Customers’ problems
are not lack of
your product’s features.

21. @lissijean#leanUX15
Complaints
&
Feature
Requests
@lissijean

22. @lissijean#leanUX15

23. @lissijean#leanUX15
We build and
launch with no
measures of
success.
@lissijean#leanUX15

24. @lissijean#leanUX15
from xkcd

25. @lissijean#leanUX15
Output
over
Outcome.

26. No collaboration
between teams.
*Photo Made By Joel
@lissijean#leanUX15

27. What have I done?
@lissijean#leanUX15

28. @lissijean#leanUX15
We tried Lean and it didn’t work.
We tried Lean and
it didn’t work.

29. @lissijean#leanUX15
So how do we solve
these problems?

30. Building is easy.
Figuring out what to build
is hard.
@lissijean

31. Terminate your bad ideas.
Solution 1
@lissijean#leanUX15

32. “If I had an hour to solve
a problem I’d spend 55
minutes thinking about
the problem and 5
minutes thinking about
solutions.”
@lissijean#leanUX15

33. @lissijean#leanUX15
Testing quickly.

34. @lissijean#leanUX15
Talk to your
customers.

35. @lissijean#leanUX15
“I don’t feel comfortable
meeting people that way.”
“I don’t feel comfortable
meeting people that way.”

36. @lissijean#leanUX15
“I wish someone would
give me steps.”

37. @lissijean#leanUX15 @lissijean#leanUX15

38. @lissijean#leanUX15

39. The Problem Roadmap
melissaperri.com
@lissijean#leanUX15

40. @lissijean#leanUX15
June July August
Guides
Email template update
Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 plan & build or test more
fix database
Content add analytics
Sign Up redesign & add
The Problem Roadmap

41. @lissijean#leanUX15
analyze that
product
@lissijean#leanUX15
Solution 2

42. @lissijean#leanUX15
1. What is the problem?
2. Who is the customer?
3. What KPI will this change? By how much?
4. Why is this the right time?
5. What do we need for this to be successful?
6. What is the business priority?
7. Is this dependent on any other changes?
and many more…

43. @lissijean#leanUX15
Build & Prioritize Need More Info Don’t Build Yet
YES MAYBE NO
Determine What Action to Take

44. @lissijean#leanUX15 @lissijean#leanUX15
NO

45. @lissijean#leanUX15
Measure success.
Solution 3
@lissijean#leanUX15

46. @lissijean#leanUX15
If we launch this product, I expect
_____ to_____________ by _______ in
_______________.
KPI increase/decrease X%
this amount of time

47. @lissijean#leanUX15
Start rewarding people for
learning.
@lissijean#leanUX15

48. @lissijean#leanUX15
Learning reduces uncertainty.

49. @lissijean#leanUX15
Lean Startup is a process.
Lean is a mindset.

50. @lissijean#leanUX15

51. Melissa Perri
melissa@produxlabs.com
produxlabs.com
melissaperri.com
@lissijean
Melissa Perri
CEO, ProdUX Labs
melissa@produxlabs.com
melissaperri.com
@lissijean