Don’t Get Distracted: How to Build a Winning MVP

Photo by Austin Chan on Unsplash

The Idea

You have broken down your idea into a simple product that you can explain. Perhaps you conducted market research, created user flow diagrams, or even hired an expert to improve the UX of your idea. To get started, you just need to secure the domain that someone else currently owns, hire a web developer to build a public website, obtain a logo, and establish a branding guide. And, of course, you need to make that product happen.

Before even delving into the first iteration of your big idea, there are numerous challenges that must be addressed. The question is: how do you get started?

Put in the Work

To arrive at an MVP from an idea, it’s crucial to carefully evaluate what features to include and what to leave out. It can be challenging to release a product that is not yet perfect, but it’s essential to gather public feedback. The key is to focus on solving a problem with the minimum amount of features required. Having an expert on your side can be beneficial, but even if you have to go it alone, starting with the bare essentials and gradually adding more features is the way to go. The bottom line is that there are no shortcuts to success, and it takes hard work to get there.

It’s important to keep in mind that not all of your product ideas will be as valuable as you expect. Many companies and startups make the mistake of investing too much time and resources into an idea that may not be worth pursuing. The key is to find the quickest and most cost-effective way to validate your idea. This is where concepts like Fail cheap, learn expensive and Fail Fast, Fail Often come From. Without getting feedback from users, it’s just a best guess, and you risk wasting time and resources on something that may not be successful.

Again, there are no shortcuts in this process. A helpful question to ask yourself and your team is, ‘Do we need this today, or can it wait until tomorrow?’ By continually challenging yourself and your team to prioritize, you may find that you can eliminate additional features that can be deferred until a later date. The goal is to simplify your MVP and validate your idea as quickly as possible. I bet that if you challenge yourself, you’ll find a few more things that can wait until tomorrow.

A Common Mistake

Staying focused on the MVP is crucial. It’s easy to get sidetracked by other tasks, such as branding, logos, attending conferences, and creating a social media presence. It’s even more dangerous to start considering new features before the MVP is complete. Building an MVP requires dedication and effort, and it’s important to keep it as the main focus, even if there is little feedback or action items for the company. A common mistake at this stage is getting distracted, allowing time to pass, and eventually finding yourself over budget and scope.

Focus on the Why Not How

During the development process, it’s common to receive feedback that certain aspects of the MVP are more complex than initially anticipated and require additional work. You may also be presented with alternative solutions to the problems you’re trying to solve. These challenges are normal and should be expected as work progresses. The most important thing is to stay focused on the problems the MVP is trying to solve, rather than getting bogged down in the details of how they will be solved. If the solution evolves and changes along the way, that’s okay. The key is to stay focused on the problems and not let the MVP get held back.

Handle the Unknown

In conclusion, building an MVP is a critical step in realizing your big idea and proving market fit. While it can be tempting to get sidetracked by other tasks such as branding, logos, and creating a social media presence, it’s important to remain focused on the MVP and the problems it’s trying to solve. The development process can be challenging and unpredictable, with feedback and unexpected changes emerging along the way. However, it’s crucial to remain adaptable and open to pivoting in order to ensure the success of the product. Staying focused on the MVP and the problems it’s trying to solve will increase the chances of bringing your idea to market and finding success. In the end, building an MVP is about balancing the need for focus and the ability to respond to change and handle the unknown.