How to Redefine MVP for Startup Growth

Startups often misunderstand the MVP. The term Minimum Viable Product is thrown around in every pitch deck and product sprint. But somewhere along the way, viable came to mean: → A barebones version → With limited features → Built to prove it works That’s not enough. Here’s a better definition: MVP = Minimum Valuable Product. → Valuable to whom? To the customer. To the person who is willing to use it, pay for it, or recommend it. Because the goal of an MVP isn’t just functionality. It’s validation. Here’s what the data says: → According to CB Insights, 35% of startups fail because there's no market need for the product. → Harvard Business School research shows that 65% of startups pivot, often because they built a product that didn’t resonate with the market. So the real question becomes: → Is your product solving a real problem? → Is it valuable enough that someone would pay for it, even in its early form? An MVP should do three things: 1. Address a specific, painful customer problem 2. Deliver immediate value, even if limited 3. Provide learning through real usage, not assumptions What’s not an MVP: → A feature-light demo with no user demand → A product built for a pitch deck, not for the user → A launch strategy that skips validation in favor of speed The right MVP doesn’t just prove you can code. It proves you understand the market. → That’s the difference between a product and a business. If you're building your MVP now, ask this: → Is this viable… or is this valuable?

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀? 👉🏻 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲. AI, no-code, and low-code tools make development faster than ever. But here’s the catch:  𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 “𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘀” 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀? 𝚃̲𝚑̲𝚎̲𝚢̲’̲𝚛̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚞̲𝚜̲𝚎̲𝚕̲𝚎̲𝚜̲𝚜̲.̲ If your goal is to build a real business, jumping straight from 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 → 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 is one of the biggest mistakes founders make. Why? 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 #𝟴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝟭𝟬–𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀! Most founders skip the first 7 steps and end up: ❌ Building something no one buys ❌ Solving a problem that wasn’t worth solving ❌ Investing in the wrong features, wrong tech, or wrong customers 👆🏻 This is like shooting arrows at a target with blinders on—high risk, high cost, low success. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝘆: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝟭𝟬-𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 ✅ Steps 1-2: Validate & Test Before You Build • Is this a painkiller problem people will pay for? • Who is the best-paying customer? • Test a clickable prototype before investing time and money. • Pre-sell your solution to prove demand. ✅ Steps 3-7: Plan & Strategize Your MVP 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 plan the best way to build your Minimal Viable Product or Feature (MVP) based on your 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 and 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 constraints. To set your business up for future success, you’ll need to discuss and make smart trade-offs around: • What’s the minimum feature set to prove value? • What’s the best mix of no-code, AI, third-party tools, and custom development? • Who (if anyone) do I need to hire? • What KPIs will track success? Most startups fail because they skip this step and build too much, too soon. ✅ Steps 8-9: Develop & Deploy Based on Strategy FINALLY. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱. And because you’ve done the groundwork, you’re not guessing or risk wasting time and money re-building. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻. ✅ Step 10: Use Data to Improve & Scale Track engagement, cut what doesn’t work, and double down on what moves the needle. 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲? Play around with AI and no-code tools to learn what’s possible. But don’t fall into the trap of "building just to build." If you want to create something people will actually pay for—with their time or money (ideally both)—𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥. 💬 Which step are you on? Drop a comment. 🚀 P.S. Want to launch smarter—without wasting time and money? Check out TechSpeak: https://lnkd.in/eDk4b-Dq

I’ve seen countless founders waste $75k-150k on an MVP, by making the same mistake. I’ve built and scaled products for the last 2 decades, I’ve noticed a trend: Most product startup owners get excited and rush into launching MVP before laying the groundwork. This leads to unnecessary cash burn and failed products. But if founders hold off until they get the basics right, they can save money and build sustainable products. Here’s how: ▶ 1. Get inside your customers' heads - Dive deep into understanding your target audience. - Conduct thorough market research and user interviews. - Validate your problem statement to avoid building on guesswork. ▶ 2. Craft a crystal clear value proposition - Define the core value your product brings to the table. - Identify how it solves specific pain points better than anyone else. - Figure out why and how your MVP will resonate with users from the get-go. ▶ 3. Measure what matters - Pinpoint key success metrics for your MVP. - Know what to track - user engagement, feature usage, or conversion rates. - Gather meaningful data from the start to set the stage for future improvements. ▶ 4. Decide fast, act faster - Don't procrastinate if you are unsure about what to build. - Use the validation phase to make smart, informed decisions. - Be clear - if your solution doesn’t look promising, pivot without hesitation. By following these steps, you can ensure that you build a satisfactory MVP that sets the right path for your product. Have you ever built an MVP that failed? Do share your insights. #mvp #productbuilding #entrepreneurship

I’ve started using the term MSP -- Minimal Sellable Product -- instead of the commonly used MVP -- Minimal Viable Product. Why the change? While an MVP is designed to be VIABLE -- something first adopters would use -- it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re willing to pay for it. The term "viable" can sometimes lead to building a product that gathers interest but doesn’t prove market demand in the form of actual revenue. On the other hand, focusing on an MSP ensures that the product is not just usable but SELLABLE. It’s a more straightforward way to validate traction and prove that what you’re building is truly valuable -- because people are willing to PAY for it, not just use it for FREE. Ultimately, making this shift in mindset can help drive better business decisions and product validation. #MVP #MSP #product #sellable #usable #startups