The answer isn’t “build less.” It’s build smarter.

Here’s your playbook:

1. Validate Before You Build

User interviews > Surveys > Prototypes > MVP > Full build

Think of it like investing:

• Don’t commit full capital until you’ve tested the market.
  
  
• Use smoke tests, fake doors, and prototypes to validate demand.
  
  

Examples:

• Create a “Coming Soon” button to measure clicks
  
  
• A/B test value props before coding
  
  
• Interview 5–10 users before designing flows
  
  

2. Tie Every Feature to a Core Metric

Before starting a feature, answer:

• What core user behavior will this change?
  
  
• What metric does that affect?
  
  
• How will we know if it worked?
  
  

If the feature doesn’t clearly support retention, revenue, or activation.

3. Use Opportunity Solution Trees (OST)

A powerful way to organize ideas.

• Start with your desired outcome
  
  
• Map opportunities (user problems or needs)
  
  
• Brainstorm solutions
  
  
• Pick experiments to validate those solutions
  
  

This helps avoid jumping to solutions before understanding the problem.

4. Shorten Feedback Loops

Long product cycles increase the odds of misalignment.
Instead:

• Ship incrementally
  
  
• Test early and often
  
  
• Gather behavioral data in near real-time
  
  

Faster loops = lower cost of failure.

5. Embed Engineers in Discovery

Don’t treat devs like feature factories. When they’re involved in:

• Customer interviews
  
  
• Design discussions
  
  
• Prioritization debates
  
  

They build better and push back on features that don’t make sense.

6. Kill Features Ruthlessly

Regularly audit your product:

• What’s not used?
  
  
• What creates confusion?
  
  
• What can be simplified?
  
  

Every line of code you delete improves velocity.
Less is often more.