The MVP Thing

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What I learned
Build an initial version that allows your customers to realize the value of your platform in the simplest way possible.

Startup literature is full of advice about building a very simple initial version called an MVP (minimum viable product) and releasing early. Here’s my take on MVPs, though recently users seem to be expecting more.

Coming from a technical background always pushes you to exercise your tech muscle and complicate things. Yet, you can use your experience to your advantage by building the MVP yourself very fast (non-technical founders: get a technical co-founder).
MVPs should provide the minimum features required for your customers to realize the platform’s value. In Sarahah’s case, this meant having a box where users could write their feedback and an inbox where the recipient could view the feedback they receive. Things like a bookmark button or sharing functions are not to be worried about. If you find that people do like your product and use it a lot, you can start adding these features. Another advantage of delaying such features is that you can spend time talking to your customers and ensuring that anything you build is valued by them.

Important Note
Features that protect the security and safety of your customers are necessary in the MVP. Examples of such measures include blocking and reporting mechanisms. Some sectors like health and finance require advanced measures to ensure the safety of your users.

Another thing to include in your MVP is analytics. In Sarahah’s days, I wasn’t quite familiar with product analytics tools like Mixpanel and Amplitude, so I used Google Analytics. Not sure if it existed then, but these days I’m a big fan of session recording tools like Clarity which give you invaluable information on how users use your product. Just make sure you mask any sensitive user information.

Our initial version also had a simple homepage, which I find clearer and better than landing pages I build these days 😅
Beware of focusing on features and capabilities in your homepage copy. Instead, highlight the value that your service provides to your customers.

Expectations these days may have changed, as customers are demanding complementary features like light/dark mode at a very early stage of my recent projects.