i want my mvp: a minimum viable guide to minimum viable products
TRANSCRIPT
Hello.I’mAlastairfrom
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We’repilotworksWe’reproductmanagementandservicedesignconsultancybasedinBristol
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Whatshallwebuild?
Wehelpteamsdefinetheproductsandservicestheyneedtodelivertomeetuserneedsandachievebusinessgoals.
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UserneedsBusinessgoals
ConstraintsIdeas Validation
✗
Understandtheproblem Understandthesolution
WeoperatemainlyinthisDiscoveryspace.Weworkwithteamscollaborativelytounderstandtheproblem,throughworkshops,stakeholderinterviews,deskresearchanduserresearch.Thenwedevelopideasandtesttheminvariousways.
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Ideas Validation
✗
Understandthesolution
✓Delivery
Whenwe’redone,everyonecanbeconfidentthattheproductorserviceorfeaturethatwe’reabouttodeliverislikelytocreatethedesiredoutcomes.
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MinimumViableProduct
todaywe’regoingtotalkabouttheconceptofminimumviableproductorMVP
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MinimumViableProduct
ThereisafairamountofconfusionoverMVPs.Theyhaveabadreputationwithmanydesignersandproductpe0ple,oftenbecause‘takinganMVPapproach’meansreducingaproducttocorefeaturesandremovinganythinginnovative,riskyordelightful.Theverysamethingsthatgetus(andoftenusers)excited.Butitdoesn’thavetobethatway.
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Minimumviableproductisthesmallestpossible
productthatisvaluable,usableandfeasible
MartyCagan
TherearetwoschoolsofthoughtonthemeaningofMVPs.Botharecompatible,it’sjustaquestionoflabelling.MartyCagandefinesMVPasthesmallestversionofyourproductthatmightsucceedinbeingvaluable,usableandfeasible.Forhimit’srelease#1ofyourproduct.
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Theminimumviableproductisthatversionofanew
productwhichallowsateamtocollectthemaximum
amountofvalidatedlearningaboutcustomerswith
theleasteffort.
EricReis
InLeanStartupEricreferstoMVPasthethingyoudo/makethatenablesthecollectionof‘validatedlearning’.Thisisabroaderdefinition.ForEric,it’snotjustaboutbuildingtightlyscopedproducts,it’saboutexperimentingtolearnwhatworks.MartycallstheseexperimentsMVPTests.It’sthiswiderdefinitionthatwe’relookingathere.
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Peoplehaveideasaboutwhatdodowiththeirwebsiteorapporwhatever.Theythinkthatiftheyexecutetheideastheywillcreatetheoutcomestheycareabout,likemoreusersbuyingmorestuffmoreoften,forexample.
Ideas
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IdeasDesignBuild
…andthentheyspendtimedoinglotsdevelopmentwork.Oftenmuchmorethanexpected.
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IdeasDesignBuild
Assum
ptions
Assum
ptions
Assum
ptions
Assum
ptions
Assum
ptions
Buttheideasarebuiltonlotsofassumptionsaboutuserbehaviourandthecostofdeliveringtheproductandothersuper-importantthings.
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Assumptio
ns
IdeasAssumptionsAssumptions
Assumptions
Assumptions
DesignBuildWaste
Andifsomeofthoseassumptionsarefalse,thenthewholethingfallsapart.Andwe’releftwithalotofwastedtimeandeffort.Andnobodylikesthat.
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MVPstestassumptions
SoMVPsareawaytotestassumptionsinthemostefficientwaypossible,toavoidallthatwaste.
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Whathastobetrueforthistowork?
Someassumptionsaremoreimportantthanothers,Ericcallsthese‘LeapofFaith’assumptions’.It’sjustcommonsensetotestthesethoroughlybeforebettinglotsofresourcesonyourideas.Whatassumptionsthisbasejumpermaking?
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Sellitfirst Slice
TypesofMVP
Prototype Manual
Want it?
SohowdoweuseMVPstotestassumptions?AndwhatkindofMVPworksinwhatkindofsituation?Ihavedividedtheminto4groups.We’llstartwiththe‘Sellitfirst’MVP.
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MVPtype1:Sellitfirst
Landingpage CrowdfundingVideodemo
Theideaissimple.Createsomethingthatsellsyourofferandtrackthenumberofpeoplethatexpressaninterest….beforeyoubuildanything.
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MVPtype1:Sellitfirst
Forwhenyouneedto
validatedemand
Usethisapproachwhenyourleapoffaithassumptionsinclude‘peoplehavetheneedmyproductisaddressing’and‘peoplewillbuymysolution’-whichisprettycommon,right?
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TypesofMVP
Sellitfirst SlicePrototype Manual
Want it?
PrototypesareanotherformofMPV.
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Paper Lo-fi Hi-fi
✓flowandIA
✗realisticreactions
✓collaborative
✗iteration/sharing✓realisticreactions✗toogood?
Faster Slower
MVPtype2:Prototype
Therearedifferentkindsofprototype,eachhasprosandcons.
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Forwhenyouneedto
validatethepropositionand/orfeatures
MVPtype2:Prototype
Prototypesareusefulwhenyouwanttoexplorewhatpeoplefindvaluableinyourpropositionandhowwellyourdesignisworking.Prototypesareusefulforlotsofthings.Usethem!
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TypesofMVP
Sellitfirst SlicePrototype Manual
Want it?
ManualMVPsarethosewhereyoudelivertheproductexperiencebyhandinordertogatherfeedbackbeforebuildingcomplexsoftware.
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Concierge
MVPtype3:ManualMVP
Therearetwotypes-theConciergeMVPiswhenyoudeliveraservicebyhand,andthecustomerisaware.Itwon’tscalebutit’sgreatforlearningwhatworksforcustomersbecauseyou’retherewiththem.
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Wizard of oz Flint-stoninga.k.a
MVPtype3:ManualMVP
ThesecondtypeofManualMVPisoftencalledWizardofOzorFlintstoning.Basicallyitfeelslikesoftwaretotheuserbutbehindthescenespeoplearebusydoingthework.
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Forwhenyouneedto
understandwherethevalueis
MVPtype3:ManualMVP
ManualMVPsaregreatforwhenyouneedtounderstandwhat’sinvolvedindeliveringavaluableexperiencetoaserviceuser.Orwhenyouwanttovalidatethatit’spossibletodelivervalueandgetpaid,beforeyoubuildalotofsoftware.
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Minimumviableproductisthesmallestpossible
productthatisvaluable,usableandfeasible
MartyCagan
ThesliceMVPisisbacktowhatMartytalksabout.Youareactuallybuildingyourproduct,butonlytheminimumthat’srequiredtodeliverthepropositioneffectively.
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Feasible
Valuable
Usable
Delightful
Usable
DelightfulVia Jussi Pasanen, @jopas
Notthisslice Thisslice
Feasible
Valuable
MVPtype4:SliceMVP
Rememberthatit’stheverticalslice,notthehorizontalslice,thatweneedtothinkabout.Itneedstobeavaluable,usableandfeasible-andalittlebitdelightful-inordertobeactuallyviable,meaningsomeonewillwanttouseitandpayforit(insomeway).
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If you’re lucky
HenrikKnibergsumstheideaupinthisdiagram.Eachiterationbevaluable,usableandfeasible.
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Chooseyourslice
Sohowmightyousliceyourproductupsothatyoudeliversomethingvaluableusableandfeasibleandtestyourkeyassumptionswithoutriskinglotsofwastedeffort?
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Sliceby
Targetpersona
Find early adopters
Youcould(andshould)focusonaspecifictargetuser.Inastartupcontextthisshouldbeyourearlyadopters,becausetheyaremorelikelytoengagewithalessfinishedproductandwillgiveyougreatfeedback.Findthem!
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Sliceby
Usecase
Youcouldfocusonacoreusecase.Notalltheotherones.Justthemainone.Oronethatifitworksthentherestcanfollow.Butifitdoesn’tthenyou’rekindofdone.
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Sliceby
Category
YoucouldchoosetostartwithjustburgersifyouraBBQdeliverycompany,orjustbooksifyou’reAmazon.Somethingthatiseasiertostartwithandprovesthemodel.
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Sliceby
Location
Orstartwithsinglelocationwhereyourmarketingmoneywillgomuchfurtheroryourcostswillbemuchlower.
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Forwhenyouneedto
begintocapturevalue
MVPtype4:SliceMVP
TheSliceisforwhenyouneedtoactuallyshipaproductandbegintomakesomemoney.Andforwhenyouwanttoknowifthat’spossible.
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Ihavewrittenmoreonthetopicofthesliceherehttp://www.mindtheproduct.com/2013/03/the-power-of-the-perfect-slice/
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Sellitfirst SlicePrototype Manual
Want it?
TypesofMVP
That’sitformywhistlestoptourofMVPsandwhentousewhen.Ihopeyoufoundituseful.
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@tsharon@ericries @jboogie @cagan
Furtherreading
Lotsoffurtherdetailandwisdomfromtheseguysonthetopic.
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Thankyou!
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Getintouchifwecanhelp,orjusttosayhi.Alwayskeentodiscussthisstuff.