End 'Feature Factory' Hell With These 3 Questions
Why shipping features can feel better than solving problems—and why that's a trap.
TL;DR
The Problem: The endless "build trap" stems from a hidden conflict between the "Builder" (who craves tangible output) and the "Solver" (who needs to create real user impact). This imbalance leads to wasted effort.
The Solution: The Deliverable Triad is a simple protocol to force alignment by answering three questions before any work begins.
The Protocol: Answer three simple questions: 1. "What you'll get?", 2. "Why are we doing this?", and 3. "How will we get it done?". This turns conflict into conviction and ensures you build what matters.
Inside every founder, every product manager, and every engineer, there are two competing forces: the Builder and the Solver.
The Builder is the part of you that craves tangible output. It wants to ship code, close tickets, and see the feature go live. It’s obsessed with progress you can point to. The Solver, on the other hand, is the part that is obsessed with impact. It needs to know that the feature actually solves a real user problem and delivers meaningful value.
Neither is the villain. The villain is the Imbalance. When the Builder runs unchecked, you fall into what product leader
calls the "Build Trap"—a relentless cycle of shipping features that don't move the needle. You're busy, but you're not making progress. This leads to a painful state we call Product Dissonance: the quiet, sinking feeling that you're building the wrong thing.
To escape this trap, you need a way to force a structured, productive argument between your inner Builder and Solver. You need a protocol that honors the Builder's need for a concrete plan while ensuring the Solver's demand for value is met.
That protocol is The Deliverable Triad.
It’s the tactical map that complements our strategic compass, the Two Gates model. While the Two Gates helps you decide if an idea is worth pursuing, the Triad defines exactly what you will build and why. It's a simple, three-question framework designed to build unshakeable conviction before a single line of code is written.
The Protocol for Balance: The Deliverable Triad
So how do you harness the Builder's energy without letting it create waste? You give the conversation a structure—a set of non-negotiable questions that force alignment between the Builder and the Solver. It is a cognitive and social forcing function, designed to produce a balanced, hybrid perspective.
That structure is The Deliverable Triad.
The Deliverable Triad
What you'll get?
This is the Builder's Domain. It defines the tangible, undeniable artifact. It's the specific thing everyone can point to and agree is "done," satisfying the Builder's need for a concrete goal.
Why are we doing this?
This is the Solver's Domain. It forces strategic alignment on the user's problem and the business value. It ensures the work matters, satisfying the Solver's need to deliver a meaningful outcome.
How will we get it done?
This is the Pragmatist's Reality Check. It confirms feasibility within our constraints of time, tech, and resources, ensuring the plan is grounded and achievable.
The Triad's true power emerges when you filter it through our Two Gates model. After defining your "What," "Why," and "How," you must ask the question from Gate #1 (Reliability/Feasibility): "Is this 'How' too expensive or risky to build right now?" If the answer is yes, the model forces you to find a cheaper "What," not to abandon the "Why." This interplay is the core engine for de-risking innovation.
A Bridge, Not a Replacement: Where the Triad Fits
The research is clear: the Triad occupies a unique position in the landscape of product frameworks. It's not a replacement, but a high-velocity bridge.
It's more balanced than User Stories, which often see the "Why" ("so that...") become a perfunctory afterthought to the Builder's "What."
It's more actionable than pure JTBD, which is unparalleled for understanding the "Why" but can leave teams in analysis paralysis. The Triad forces the immediate definition of a tangible "What."
It's more lightweight than a full PR/FAQ, which is a heavyweight tool for major strategic bets. The Triad is an atomic unit of definition, perfect for the daily and weekly work of turning strategy into reality.
The Triad in Action: From Vague Goal to Concrete Plan
Let's walk through a real-world, anonymized example to show how the Triad breaks a stalemate. The initial request from a stakeholder was dangerously vague: "We need a better predictive model."
This is where the Builder vs. Solver conflict ignites. The Builder hears this and wants to start architecting V2. The Solver hears it and starts asking endless questions about what "better" means, risking analysis paralysis.
Instead, we run it through the Triad.
Question 1: "What, specifically, will we get?" The honest answer from the team was, "A new model, I guess?" This revealed the flaw. 'A better model' isn't a tangible artifact a user can hold; it's a desired outcome.
Question 2: "Why are we doing this?" To trust the predictions and know if they're improving.
This was the breakthrough. The "Why" (trust and knowledge) forced us to re-evaluate the "What." What is the first tangible thing a user needs in their hands to build trust? It wasn't a new model at all. It was proof that the data going into the current model was reliable.
And just like that, our first deliverable was born not from a desire to build, but from a need to solve for "trust."
The "Builder-Dominant" Trap (The Before)
Without the Triad, the team would have jumped into a single, massive deliverable: "A V2 predictive model with a new UI." This would have kicked off months of high-cost development where the team was heads-down and stakeholders were in the dark. It’s a recipe for budget overruns and a "big reveal" that falls flat.
Using the Triad to Force Clarity (The After)
The Triad forced us to define a logical sequence of deliverables, starting with the most fundamental risks first.
Deliverable 1: Build Trust in the Data
What you'll get: A new tab in a shared dashboard titled 'Data Source Monitor', showing a simple 'OK' or 'FAIL' status for each critical data feed, updated daily.
Why are we doing this? To eliminate the risk of building on unreliable data and give the entire team at-a-glance confidence that our foundation is solid.
How will we get it done? With a simple, automated script that pings each data source and checks for freshness and integrity.
Deliverable 2: Establish a Performance Baseline
What you'll get: A one-page report titled 'V1 Benchmark', showing the current model's historical accuracy against real-world outcomes.
Why are we doing this? To create a single source of truth for performance and know the *exact* baseline we have to beat.
How will we get it done? By running a deep backtest on the existing model and visualizing the results in a clear, concise dashboard.
This methodical approach completely transformed the project's dynamic. The vague anxiety was replaced by the controlled momentum of achieving small, concrete wins. For the first time, stakeholders, data scientists, and engineers were all looking at the same roadmap, building with shared conviction.
Pro Tip: Using the Triad with Your AI Partner
This protocol becomes even more powerful when your partner is an AI. Your AI is a tireless Builder, capable of generating endless 'Whats' and 'Hows'. The Triad provides the framework for a structured conversation to direct that power.
You can start with a customer's request (a mix of 'What' and 'Why') and use the three questions iteratively with your AI partner to dig deeper, clarify the true user need, and converge on a viable path to get there.
From Conflict to Conviction
The Deliverable Triad isn’t just another template—it’s a peace treaty between the Builder’s urge to ship and the Solver’s demand for impact. In one conversation it answers: What will we deliver? Why does it matter? How will we make it happen?
Before your next task moves to “In Progress,” pause and run it through those three questions. Five minutes of clarity now can save five sprints of confusion later.
If building with conviction sounds useful, keep an eye on Segmnts. We’re weaving the Triad into an AI-powered workflow so you can focus on building the right thing, faster.
Take the next step → Pick one backlog item and put it through the Triad today.