Avoiding The Delivery Trap

"We're shipping features like clockwork, but the metrics aren't moving the way we'd like"

This sentiment, shared by a product leader I once worked with, captures a common struggle in product development. Their team had mastered the art of delivery - regular releases, synchronized sprints, and meticulous planning sessions. Yet despite this well-oiled machine, user engagement remained flat, and customer frustration was growing.

The Delivery Trap

Companies adopt agile methodologies and scaling frameworks with the best intentions. They implement, big planning sessions, roadmaps and synchronized sprint schedules across teams.

On paper, it looks perfect.

But here's what often gets missed: they've optimized for delivery without making space for discovery.

It's like trying to run a restaurant where the kitchen is constantly cooking but never has time to plan the menu, source ingredients, or test new recipes. You might be efficient at pushing out dishes, but are they what your customers actually want to eat?

Too Much Planning Often Backfires

I see this especially in companies that implement heavyweight planning tools that are very prescriptive. Teams love the idea of because it gets everyone together to discuss portfolio initiatives. Often, it's the first time different teams align on shared goals.

But there's a catch. These sessions often become exercises in cramming in every possible feature, leaving no room for learning or adaptation.

When teams discover new insights that challenge the plan, they're stuck – the commitments are viewed as set in stone.

Finding the Balance

The key insight came during a particularly honest planning session. As we mapped out the quarter's commitments, a senior developer spoke up: "How do we know these features are going to move the needle for us?"

This question ultimately led to a fundamental shift. Instead of trying to fill every sprint with delivery work, we started "pulling" validated ideas into releases rather than "pushing" untested features into the schedule.

The change was significant. Teams carved out dedicated time for discovery and experimentation, Release planning focused only on validated ideas that we knew would solve real problems, and releases were scoped around outcomes rather than output.

Release planning isn't inherently bad - it helps with financial planning and managing customer expectations. You can't surprise customers with major changes without proper preparation.

The solution isn't to abandon planning, but to change how we think about it. Some key principles:

• Don't fill every moment of the quarter
• Focus on problems solved, not features delivered
• Require outcome metrics for every planned release
• Get enough out to move key metrics, then iterate

Making the Shift

If your team is caught in the delivery trap, start by asking:

How much time do you actually spend understanding what to build versus building it?

Do you prioritize speed of learning? Are your releases driven by calendar dates or validated customer needs?

Sprinting faster is good– as long as you're running in the right direction. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is slow down enough to make sure you're building the right thing.