Kevin Dias’s illuminating business book The Problem-First Method guides readers on how companies can give customers the right solutions to relevant problems.

Dias has years of experience developing products and running a vertical software company, lending the book seasoned perspective and credibility. Too often, he writes, companies develop costly new products that no one ultimately wants. His book helps business leaders identify customers’ actual needs so they can deliver targeted products, services, or features, rather than waste time, resources, and energy on solving the wrong issue.

Dias lays out frameworks for product development, including: asking if the company is really solving anything; clearly identifying a problem before coming up with the answer; and systematically looking at the full workflow involved rather than just the end-device itself. He cautions about traps that can lead companies astray, such as when chasing an offering it believes everyone else will have.

Dias also cites well-known examples of solution-chasing that puts the product before the need for it, such as Google Glass and Juicero, relating the stories with flair while extracting practical lessons. For example, he recounts how Juicero invented a device costing hundreds of dollars to serve cold-pressed juice packets one could squeeze with one’s hands—without considering whether consumers sought such a frictionless experience and if having to clean out a blender was such a hassle in the first place.

The writing is generally pithy and direct. However, it’s sometimes weighed down with acronyms and jargon, as when addressing subjects like Application Programming Interfaces. Other times, it’s not particular enough, such as looking at how Spotify tackled music discovery without detailing the logistical challenges faced. The author uses exercises, examples, formulas, and other didactic techniques effectively, supplying helpful tools to build products with discipline.

Despite some drawbacks, this is a valuable read for product managers and other businesspeople—a thorough guide to offering in-demand solutions to real-world problems.

Also available in paperback.