Forewords by Ash Maurya and Jim Highsmith. Available on Amazon, Pearson, Barnes & Noble, and O’Reilly.
Behind the curtains
Same traps, on every continent.
I became a product manager without knowing what that meant. I felt stupid and accepted my incompetence. As I learned and changed companies, I kept seeing the same patterns. For a while I thought it was a Brazilian problem. Then I moved to Europe: same traps. Then I coached people from dozens of countries: same challenges, everywhere.
Product is hard. Untrapping Product Teams names the traps I fell into, so you can recognize them faster than I did, and equips you to overcome them while steadily driving customer and business value. Best practices combined with “secret ingredients” crafted from years in the field, encouraging you to act today for a better tomorrow.
This is the book I wish someone had handed me back then.
What you’ll get
Practical from page one.
No fluff, no ideal-world scenarios. Stories, simple techniques, and tools you can use the same week.
01Learn the difference between coordinative and collaborative workflows
02Recognize dangerous traps, and the strategies to overcome them
03Walk the product journey: strategy, mindful discovery, delivery beyond outputs, and metrics that matter
04Craft product principles and set solid foundations for your teams
05Apply proven product health checks to uncover where to act today
Table of contents
Three parts. Sixteen chapters. One journey.
With forewords by Ash Maurya and Jim Highsmith, the book walks the full product journey, from facing the traps to staying untrapped.
IPart I
Facing Dangerous Traps
01How Common Ways of Working Trap or Untrap Teams
02The Mindset Impacts on Dangerous Traps
03What Distracts Teams from Creating Value
you’ll see your team on every page.
IIPart II
Overcoming Dangerous Traps
04
What savvy people say
Praised by the people who shaped the industry.
Some of these names are why I do this job. Still pinching myself.
“Several hard-earned lessons of what happens when product people aren't set up to succeed. This book helps you avoid the pitfalls.”
Marty CaganPartner, Silicon Valley Product Group
“This is my new favorite book on product management. Everything you need to lead a product team and succeed as a PM.”
Mike CohnCo-founder, Agile Alliance
What readers say
And those in the trenches.
“An antidote to bullshit management, and so much more. A survival kit for every PM in the trenches.”
Ioana Ognibeni · Product Lead and Coach
“David nails how to do Product Management right. On my top 3 books, together with Empowered and Working Backwards. A must-read to reach the next level.”
Gustavo Soares · Head of Product
“Immediately valuable. Each section is a veritable treasure trove of experience and knowledge. It deserves its place among the greats.”
About the author
Every mistake in this book is mine. That’s why it works.
David Pereira.
David Pereira is a product leader with more than 19 years of experience, sharpened by leading diverse teams from startups to giant corporations. Since 2020 he has openly shared his mistakes, failures, and insights on product management, reaching over 20 million readers worldwide. His thought-provoking courses have more than 20K satisfied students across 130+ countries.
Some store links are affiliate links. You pay the same price; I may earn a small share. Transparency is key to fairness.
Using the Right Ingredients for Product Teams
05Crafting a Meaningful Product Strategy
06Forget What You Know to Get Ready for the Unknown
07Embarking on a Journey to Discover What Matters
08Enabling Product Delivery Beyond Outputs
09Defining and Measuring Actionable Metrics
10Setting the Teams Right
11Building Solid Relationships
IIIPart III
Remaining Untrapped
12Establishing Product Principles
13Assessing Your Company Dynamics
14Evaluating How Your Product Strategy Simplifies Decision-Making
15Understanding How Quickly You Can Drop Bad Ideas
16Examining How Fast You Can Drive Business and Customer Value
“David is one of the leading voices showing us the way in a new era of product management.”
Ash MauryaFounder & CEO, LEANSTACK · author of Running Lean
“If you want clarity of purpose and excellent practices you can evolve from reality-based feedback, stick with David.”
Jim Highsmith · Co-author, Agile Manifesto
“The “Greatest Hits” album of product management. Ideal for newcomers and a great refresher for the experienced.”
Petra Wille · Author of Strong Product People
“The best way to transition your teams from delivery to empowered. He speaks not just theory, but from experience.”
Aakash Gupta · Author of Product Growth
“David wrote the book I wish I had read 20 years ago. Full of wisdom and inspiration for new and experienced product professionals alike.”
Simonetta Batteiger · CEO, Inclusive Leaders
“David’s brilliant book will help you decipher the chaos of product management and show how to escape all the traps that may condemn your product teams to mediocrity.”
Maarten Dalmijn · Author of Driving Value With Spring Goals
“For those seeking no BS product management, David has got you covered! This book is full of practical and easy-to-follow advice to help you stop building a feature factory. ”
Shyvee Shi · AI Product Lead, Microsoft
“Use David’s experience and nonprescriptive guidance to make good choices and help your company succeed.”
Gil Broza · Value Delivery and Agile Leadership Expert, author of Deliver Better Results
“"Untrapping Product Teams" by David Pereira is a compelling guide for product managers. It's concise, yet packed with transformative insights. ”
Dr. Bart Jaworski · Senior Product Manager
“Untrapping Product Teams” by David Pereira isn’t just another manual; it’s a revelation in product management. ”
Stefan Wolpers · Author of The Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide
Michael Cornell · Scrum Master
“A must-read for everyone who wants to succeed in product management. The list of traps to avoid alone can save you tons of time.”
Emiliano Saad · Product Manager
“Full of true, funny stories every PM can relate to. It proves its value immediately with a smooth, concise style.”
Alexej Antropov · Product Leader
“A book no person working in technology can afford not to have on their shelf.”
Maria Chec · Agile Coach & Content Creator
“Whether you are new to the product world or have years of experience, this book serves as a great guide, especially in helping to avoid falling into the same traps.”
Ricardo Rosa · Senior Product Manager
“
Amazing Book!
Practical, simple, and impactful. You’ll be able to apply what you learn with ease!”
Jennifer M. Forbes · Lead Scrum Master
“Not just another book on beating the feature factory!
David brings the best of product management, how to conduct product discovery, and so many other useful tips to untrap yourself in BS... And, he puts it in a way that sounds so easy! ”
Nuno Santos · Business Analyst
“Perfect to untrap your product team and remove the chaos from product creation.”
Irene Liakos · Product Management Advisor
“The book gives you motivation and helps you not to lose sanity. It leaves you with a nice aftertaste of having your Product Management Craft in order.”
Vira Chesnokova · Growth Product Manager
“David's book is overflowing with brilliantly practical advice and written in a fantastically relaxed and conversation tone. Never condescending and 100% ground in reality.”
Corinna Hammerstingl · Product Lead
“Stop what you are doing. Buy the book. Read it slowly and carefully. This will probably become the Product Management Bible. Yes, it's that good!”
Diego Schmunis · Product Director
David Pereira | Product Coaching & Advisory | David Pereira
