Redefining MVP - Making the Most of Your Resources

When you’ve been in television production long enough, you get really good at stretching resources. You make it work. You pull a show together even when you’re short a camera op, your gear’s outdated, or you’re getting direction changes midstream. There’s a certain pride that comes with “making it happen,” no matter what.

But we’ve entered a different kind of challenge now—one that’s less about last-minute scrambling and more about long-term sustainability. Teams are smaller. Budgets are tighter. The pressure isn’t just to make it work anymore—it’s to make it make sense.

So the question becomes: Are we putting in more than we’re getting out? And if we are—what do we really need to succeed?

That’s where the concept of MVP (Minimum Viable Product) comes in. There is a lot of talk about MVP in product development: the leanest version of a product that still provides value. But in production, we rarely stop and ask: What’s the minimum viable version of this show, segment, or event that still delivers our message, connects with our audience, and reflects our brand?

Truly this should be the first question asked of the editorial team before you even discuss the production. Because when we do stop and ask, we often discover something important: We’ve been overproducing, and it’s not helping.

The Cost of Doing Too Much

Let’s get real. Every added camera, every extra live shot, every “can we just throw in one more thing”—those all cost time, money, and energy. And when we stretch ourselves too thin trying to hit every beat, we start sacrificing quality for quantity. We burn out staff. We introduce errors. We kill momentum. And worst of all—we miss the point.

Sometimes a single, well-produced story that’s clear, emotional, and tightly told will outperform a 6-segment rundown of “everything that happened today.” But that only works when we’ve had the courage to ask:

• “What’s the purpose of this production?”

• “What’s the outcome we’re trying to achieve?”

• “What does the audience need most?”

If you don’t understand your “motivation,” you’ll always default to “more.” 

Redrawing the Line of Demarcation

One of the hardest things to do is define where the line is.  Where effort and outcome stop matching up. But that’s the leadership challenge we’re all facing now. Not just “Can we, do it?” but “Should we?” Start by asking:

• What does success look like for this production?

• If we cut 30% of the effort, what would the audience actually notice?

• What could we do with those saved hours or dollars?

Sometimes pulling back is what makes room for growth. A simpler main show might free up your crew to create additional content for linear, digital and social. A smaller travel footprint might let you invest in better storytelling gear or more expanded coverage once onsite. It’s all a balancing act—but we only find the balance when we stop operating out of habit and start producing with purpose.

Letting Go of the Guilt

Here’s the truth: a lot of us were trained in a world where scaling back felt like failure. Like we weren’t doing enough. But that mindset doesn’t work anymore. Not when the demands are constant, the platforms are multiplying, and your team is already giving 110%.

If the content still hits, if the audience still connects, if the brand is still served—you didn’t cut corners. You evolved. And that’s the mindset shift we have to guide our teams through. Not “we’re doing less,” but “we’re doing what matters most.