Building is easy, deciding is hard - #23
When building is cheap and fast, context becomes the differentiator. The teams that win aren’t copying tactics — they’re making clearer decisions about what actually matters
This issue is a good snapshot of where product, design and software feel like they are right now: faster to build, harder to differentiate, and increasingly dependent on judgment rather than process.
From A/B tests that contradict themselves, to design shifting upstream, to people questioning the moral and emotional weight of where they work - there’s a common thread here. Tools are accelerating, but certainty isn’t and nor is team discipline. Context matters more than ever. So does intent.
Whether it’s experimentation, research, storytelling, or even deciding whether to buy software or build it yourself, the old shortcuts and “best practices” are breaking down. What replaces them is slower to define, but clearer to feel: sharper thinking, better questions, and more deliberate choices.
And if you do need to understand how to make better decisions, The Build Loop can help!
The first newsletter of this year, here are a few things that stood out to me this week.
thanks, Ross
