Building Better from Day One: Notes on Click by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky

I recently read Click: How to Build Products People Want by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. It is a short book packed with practical advice on how to start building the right way.

It builds on their earlier book Sprint but focuses even more sharply on the earliest steps: clarifying who your customer is, what problem you are solving, and how you are differentiated. The core tool is the “Foundation Sprint,” a simple, repeatable process to get clarity without getting stuck in endless meetings or fuzzy debates.

I should mention up front: John is a friend. But I would be recommending this book even if I did not know him. Click is genuinely one of the most practical and usable books I have read about starting projects the right way.

I read it in two sittings. It was that readable. The tone is playful but sharp, and it feels like the authors are sitting next to you, walking you through a process they have seen work many times.

This post is a mix of my personal reflections and practical notes from the book. I highly recommend buying and reading the full thing if you are serious about building products, solving problems, or leading a team. It is the kind of book you will come back to often.

Why Click Stands Out

It is extremely actionable.
Unlike a lot of business books that are heavy on theory and light on practice, Click gives you a full playbook you could use tomorrow. The Foundation Sprint itself can be done in two days if you are serious about it. Even better, the book is structured so that you can also pull out individual tools or mental models and apply them on their own.

It simplifies in the right ways.
The mental models are simple, but not dumbed down. For example, the use of 2x2 matrices forces you to focus on just two important variables when making comparisons. This limits analysis paralysis and nudges you toward making smart decisions faster.

It forces you to ask obvious but often neglected questions.
Throughout the Foundation Sprint, you are forced to ask things like, “Who is our customer?” and “What problem are we solving?” It sounds basic, but most teams skip this or operate on fuzzy assumptions. Click makes you face these questions head-on and get real alignment.

It creates clear outputs.
Every major step in the process produces a deliverable. Whether it is a founding hypothesis, a map of competitors and alternatives, or a decision-making framework, you are not just “thinking about things,” you are actually creating tangible artifacts. This structure makes it feel real and progress-driven.

It gives permission to do things most people feel guilty about.
Two examples stood out to me. First, it encourages working “alone together” — where everyone works independently first before coming together — instead of classic group brainstorms, which tend to create mediocre results. Second, it advocates blocking meaningful time to do the work and not feeling bad about protecting that space.

It empowers teams by forcing honest reflection.
Part of the sprint involves identifying what your team is uniquely good at, why that matters, and how it can be used as a competitive advantage. This self-awareness can be uncomfortable, but it energizes the team and improves your odds of building something truly differentiated.

It generalizes well beyond software.
Although the examples lean toward product building, the ideas in Click apply to almost any kind of work that involves solving real problems. Whether you are building software, designing services, or even rethinking internal processes, the structure holds up.

It is obvious advice, but obvious in a good way.
Many of the points made in the book are things you will recognize as true immediately. But recognizing them and consistently applying them are two different things. The book reminds you to do the simple but critical things that actually move the needle.

Key Takeaways

• Create the space to do the work.
  Protecting time for deep work is a feature, not a flaw, of building something great.

• Work alone together instead of brainstorming.
  Silent idea generation and structured voting beats open discussion.

• Get crystal clear on your customer and problem.
  Teams that skip this step end up solving the wrong problem.

• Identify and leverage your unique advantage.
  Building around your true strengths increases your odds of success.

• Think broadly about competition.
  Often the biggest competitor is doing nothing at all.

• Radical differentiation matters.
  It must be obvious why your product is better, not just marginally improved.

• Use 2x2 matrices to visualize differentiation.
  Externalizing comparisons makes better strategic decisions.

• Decision-making frameworks are underrated.
  Principles keep teams aligned when things get messy.

• Always generate multiple options.
  Never settle for the first idea. Explore different lenses.

• Perspective switching is hard, so externalize it.
  Visual tools like 2x2 charts lower the mental burden and surface better patterns.

Final Thoughts

Click is one of the few books that makes you pause, reframe, and refocus on what actually matters when you are starting something new.

It does not try to impress you with complexity or buzzwords. It gives you simple structures and hard questions that sharpen your work instead of distracting from it.

If you are building something — a product, a feature, a company, or even just a better process — Click will give you tools and habits that make a real difference early on. Even if you only pull a few pieces into your workflow, it is the kind of book that earns its place within arm’s reach.