Tools of the Trade: MVP - You’re doing it wrong

The idea of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is almost sacred in the startup world. Everyone talks about launching early, testing the waters, and iterating fast. But here’s the catch—most people are doing it wrong. They end up building something way too complex or obsessing over polish before getting any real feedback. In reality, an MVP is not about launching an early product; it’s about validating your core assumption quickly and cheaply.

Why This Matters

Building the wrong MVP wastes time and resources. Worse yet, it can give you false validation or no validation at all because you’re focusing on the wrong thing. It’s easy to confuse a polished, feature-rich product for an MVP, but that’s not what it is. An MVP is really about testing your riskiest assumption—the thing that could make or break your business idea.

Rethinking the MVP as a Minimal Viable Test

Change Your Mindset: It’s not a product; it’s a test. An MVP is simply a way to validate (or invalidate) your riskiest assumption. Think of it more as a Minimal Viable Test (But please don't rename it!). The whole point is to gather enough evidence to determine whether your idea has legs or needs to be rethought.

Here’s What an MVP Really Should Be

1.Identify the Core Hypothesis:

Before building anything, ask yourself: “What is the most critical assumption about my business idea that needs to be true for this to work?” The MVP should be a way to test that assumption as quickly as possible.

2. Design a Simple Test:

The MVP isn’t necessarily a product. It could be a landing page, a video demonstration, a clickable prototype, or even a manual process disguised as automation. For example, if you’re testing demand, create a landing page to collect emails or run a small ad campaign.

3. Aim for Speed & Learning, Not Perfection:

Your MVP should help you learn, not impress. You need to launch fast, get feedback, and iterate. If you’re spending weeks tweaking the color of a button, you’re doing it wrong. The goal is to get in front of real users ASAP and understand if you’re solving their problem.

Real-Life Examples of MVPs Done Right

Zappos: Before becoming an online shoe giant, Zappos’ founder tested the idea with one simple move: he went to local shoe stores, photographed their inventory, and posted it online. When someone ordered a pair, he’d go to the store, buy it, and ship it himself. This proved people were willing to buy shoes online without any major upfront costs.

Buffer: Before building out their social media scheduling app, Buffer’s founder made a simple landing page explaining how it would work. He tracked email sign-ups to gauge interest and later added a pricing page (even though there was no product yet) to see if people were willing to pay.

Applying the Right Approach to Your MVP

Focus on the Riskiest Assumption. If you’re testing demand, you don’t need to build a full product—you need to know if people will pay or sign up. If you’re testing the product’s functionality, create a stripped-down version that addresses the core problem and nothing more.

Use Manual Processes to Validate Automation. Think your business needs an automated solution? Start by offering a manual version of the service first. For instance, if you’re thinking about launching an automated content curation tool, test the concept by manually curating content for a small group of users.

Measure What Matters. Don’t focus on vanity metrics like followers, likes, or views. Measure what truly validates your hypothesis. Are users willing to pay for what you’re offering? Are they actually using the product in the way you expected?

Tools to Help Build Your MVP

Landing Page Builders: Use tools like Carrd, Unbounce, or Launchrock to create a quick landing page and start testing your idea.

Prototyping Tools: If you want to show off a potential product without building it, use tools like Figma, Adobe XD, or Marvel to create clickable prototypes.

No-Code Platforms: For more complex ideas, consider no-code tools like Bubble, Webflow, or Airtable to build a lightweight version of your product.

Feedback & Validation: Use Typeform or Google Forms to collect feedback and gauge interest in your idea. Get users to interact and share their thoughts as soon as possible.

The Lean Startup Approach & Eric Ries Inspiration

If you’re familiar with Eric Ries and the Lean Startup methodology, this all might sound familiar—and it should. The essence of building an MVP isn’t to build a “half-baked” product but to learn as quickly as possible. Ries emphasizes validated learning: constantly testing your assumptions, iterating based on real data, and pivoting when necessary.

Want to dive deeper into the art of building the right MVP? Grab Eric Ries’ The Lean Startup and master the approach to validated learning and fast iteration.

Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Overbuilding the MVP: You don’t need a full-featured product to test demand or usability. Start with the smallest possible test. Less is more here.

Skipping Validation & Going Straight to Product Development: It’s tempting to jump into development because building feels like progress. But remember—if you build something no one wants, all that effort is wasted.

Waiting for Perfection Before Launching: An MVP is not meant to be pretty; it’s meant to be functional enough to test a hypothesis. If you’re not at least a little embarrassed by your first version, you’ve probably waited too long.

Your Next Steps

1. Define your core assumption that needs to be validated.
2. Brainstorm a minimal test you can run to validate or invalidate that assumption.
3. Launch and learn quickly—get real feedback, iterate, and don’t be afraid to pivot.