How to Create a Successful Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

One of the most important aspects of a new startup is the Minimum Viable Product or MVP. In layman's terms, creating an MVP is like creating a basic version of your product, with just enough features to make it work and be useful to your customers. This way, you can test your idea in the real world without spending too much time or money perfecting it.

Tips for a Successful MVP

1. Start and be specific

   Start with the general problem you are trying to solve. World hunger? Better pet bowel movements? Be as specific as possible.

2. Define your target audience

   Focus on a small group of customers that have the problem you are solving and are willing to work with early-stage startups.

3. Talk to users pre-MVP

   Identify the core problem that your target audience has by talking to them. Use "The Mom Test" resources to do this properly.

4. MVP Creation

   Create just enough features to solve the problem well for your early customers. Any more features puts you in danger land because it bloats your product, confuses users, and takes away your precious time.

5. Be quick

   Create the MVP as quickly as possible. Think weeks not months.

6. Talk to users post-MVP

   Get the MVP in front of users as soon as possible to learn from them, then Iterate and improve: Based on user feedback and data, continuously iterate and improve your MVP to enhance its value and functionality. Be prepared to pivot if necessary, based on the feedback you receive. Use "The Mom Test" resources here again.

7. Pivot, pivot, pivot - this is progress not failure

   Be prepared to pivot and don't fall in love with your MVP. Most successful startups pivoted the solution and functionality of the MVP.

8. Fall in love with your problem, not your solution

   Be careful not to pivot the problem. Remember, you started this startup because you wanted to solve a problem - don't give up on the problem so quickly.

9. Build a lean and agile development process

   Build a lean and agile development process so you can quickly build features or improvements based on feedback from users.

10. Establish your unique value proposition (UVP)

    Determine what sets your product apart from existing solutions.

However, the most important tip is to create the MVP as quickly as possible in order to get something scrappy but somewhat functional in front of customers so that you can get better feedback from them. Anything else falls to the second order of importance.

Happy building!