SlideShare a Scribd company logo
Business Skills for Start Ups
How to Select Your Initial Product Features
Barry Doctor, Harborlight Partners
 What is it?
 What is it NOT?
 How do you know?
MVP - Minimum Viable Product
 Delight customers
 Get lots of them signed up
 Make a lot of $$
 Realize some big vision or change the world
MVP - Minimum Viable Product
 “Maximize chances of success”
◦ Build a great product with enough features that
increase the odds that customers will want it
◦ Problem: no feedback until the end, might be too
late to adjust
 “Release early and often”
◦ Get as much feedback as possible – quick
◦ Problem: run around in circles, chasing what
customers think they want
 Avoid building products that nobody wants
 Maximize the learning per dollar spent
 Probably much more minimum than you
think!
 Visionary customers can fill in the gaps on
missing features, if the product solves a real
problem
 Allows us to achieve a big vision in small
increments without going in circles
 Requires a commitment to iteration
Saeed Khan
http://onproductmanagement.net
One Expert’s Opinion
Anther Possible Definition:
Good products for startups to build
Minimum Viable
Crappy products nobody wants to use
products built by companies better
financed than you
http://blog.fastmonkeys.com/2014/06/18/minimum-viable-product-your-ultimate-guide-to-mvp-great-examples/
MVP - Minimum Viable Product
 What is the Market Problem that your product
solves?
 I just had an idea
 I needed it
 I thought it was cool
 I had this one guy who wanted it
 Who has the problem?
 In what industries?
 Identify buyers and users
 What are they using today instead of your
sparkly, glitzy, innovative, never before seen
product?
 The simplest solution that someone will pay
for is the MVP
 Describe your MVP concept to possible buyers
 Share wireframes or mock-ups
 Gather feedback from possible buyers
 Do NOT build the product… yet
 Do you have a solution seeking a problem?
 Identify who (buyers & users) has the problem
 Research the target industry
 Talk to potential buyers & users
 Establish your positioning
 Test the concepts
 that version of a new product which allows a
team to collect the maximum amount
of validated learning about customers with
the least effort.
 It’s like [reference
product in another
category]
 but for [new
application]
The Amazon Kindle
Paperwhite: it’s like
an iPod but for books.
 Our <products and services>
help <buyers/users>
who want to <solve a problem>
by <reducing something>
and <increasing something else>
unlike <competing solution>.
 because the concept is flawed
 because the solution doesn’t solve the problem
 because the product isn’t yet good enough
 because the market positioning is wrong
 because you’re targeting the wrong customers
MVP - Minimum Viable Product
 Understand the market
 Define the market problem
 Create Detailed Personas – details in ebook at
www.outsideinview.com
 Identify the Market Problem first
 Determine the target buyer persona
 Ensure that the solution will solve the
problem AND it is something the target buyer
needs and is willing to pay for
 Mock up/smoke test/alpha test concept
 Collect buyer feedback
 Revise & Iterate…
 Smoke test / landing page / AdWords / SEM
 Alpha test / In-product split testing
 Remove some features
 Paper prototypes
 Customer discovery/validation/feedback –
physically do some interviews
◦ Find/create user community
◦ Use Google Hangouts, LinkedIn, Dev communities
MVP - Minimum Viable Product
Barry Doctor
Harborlight Partners
952-240-7399
Barry.doctor@gmail.com
@bdoctor

More Related Content

PDF
Kick feb28 at Spring Accelorator
PPTX
Successful Prototyping
PDF
The 1 Week Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
PDF
Build A Minimum Viable Product PowerPoint Presentation Slides
PDF
How to build_a_successful_mvp_lean-302
PDF
Getting to Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
PDF
Minimum Viable Product - theory and workshop
PDF
Why should I care about the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Kick feb28 at Spring Accelorator
Successful Prototyping
The 1 Week Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Build A Minimum Viable Product PowerPoint Presentation Slides
How to build_a_successful_mvp_lean-302
Getting to Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Minimum Viable Product - theory and workshop
Why should I care about the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

What's hot (19)

PPTX
Lean Startup Zurich- MVP/Idea Validation
PDF
An Intro to Lean Startup
PPTX
Building a Minimum Viable Product
PDF
How to create your Minimum Viable Product - Raff Paquin
PDF
Minimum Viable Product Examples
PDF
How to get your Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
PPT
MVP: Minimum Viable Product vs. Maximum Value Product
PPTX
Minimum Viable Product in brief!
PDF
MVP: Minimum Viable Product vs. Maximum Value Product with Adam Smith
PDF
Quick Left - Lean MVP Deck
PPTX
Product market fit
PDF
10 steps to product/market fit
PPTX
Building B2B Minimum Viable Products (MVP)
PPTX
Patrick McKenzie Opticon 2014: Advanced A/B Testing
PDF
MVP - Lean Startup Machine Tel Aviv 2014
PPTX
Minimum viable product
PDF
Validating business ideas quickly with Lean - Tadas Labudis
PPTX
Customer Development: How to Understand, Empathize and Validate Ideas With Yo...
PDF
How to frame a business challenge for innovation teams
Lean Startup Zurich- MVP/Idea Validation
An Intro to Lean Startup
Building a Minimum Viable Product
How to create your Minimum Viable Product - Raff Paquin
Minimum Viable Product Examples
How to get your Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
MVP: Minimum Viable Product vs. Maximum Value Product
Minimum Viable Product in brief!
MVP: Minimum Viable Product vs. Maximum Value Product with Adam Smith
Quick Left - Lean MVP Deck
Product market fit
10 steps to product/market fit
Building B2B Minimum Viable Products (MVP)
Patrick McKenzie Opticon 2014: Advanced A/B Testing
MVP - Lean Startup Machine Tel Aviv 2014
Minimum viable product
Validating business ideas quickly with Lean - Tadas Labudis
Customer Development: How to Understand, Empathize and Validate Ideas With Yo...
How to frame a business challenge for innovation teams
Ad

Viewers also liked (20)

PPT
Our Minimum Viable Product (MVP) - Who says you can't fix ugly?
PDF
Content to Conversion: How to use content marketing to build your business
PPTX
The Minimum Viable Product - Planning The Minimum for The Maximum
PPTX
Measuring What Matters
PDF
Crash Course: Growth Hacking Your Customer Acquisition
PPTX
BFBM(1-2016) Startup with mvp
PDF
MVP - What is Minimum Viable Product really
PDF
Insights and Data: How to engage and recruit the perfect candidate via social...
PDF
The What, Why & How of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
ODP
Minimum Viable Product
PDF
what stage r u in?
PPTX
Building an MVP
PDF
Copy of Minimum Viable Presentation
PPTX
Recruitment Marketing and Millennials: Branding Your Company as the Employer ...
PDF
Mockup & wireframe creation and validation
PPTX
Startup cheatsheet: AARRR (P), Growth hacks, Prototyping, MVP vs MDP, metrics...
PDF
Framework for Running Minimum Viable Tests (MVT)
PDF
Product design process in agile, lean development
PDF
Startup Metrics + Case studies 11-16-2015
Our Minimum Viable Product (MVP) - Who says you can't fix ugly?
Content to Conversion: How to use content marketing to build your business
The Minimum Viable Product - Planning The Minimum for The Maximum
Measuring What Matters
Crash Course: Growth Hacking Your Customer Acquisition
BFBM(1-2016) Startup with mvp
MVP - What is Minimum Viable Product really
Insights and Data: How to engage and recruit the perfect candidate via social...
The What, Why & How of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Minimum Viable Product
what stage r u in?
Building an MVP
Copy of Minimum Viable Presentation
Recruitment Marketing and Millennials: Branding Your Company as the Employer ...
Mockup & wireframe creation and validation
Startup cheatsheet: AARRR (P), Growth hacks, Prototyping, MVP vs MDP, metrics...
Framework for Running Minimum Viable Tests (MVT)
Product design process in agile, lean development
Startup Metrics + Case studies 11-16-2015
Ad

Similar to MVP - Minimum Viable Product (20)

PDF
Learning with MVPs
PDF
Bootstrap Business Seminar 3: Designing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
PDF
BMI and VP Design Propel April 2016
PPTX
From an idea to an MVP: a guide for startups
PDF
Defining a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
PDF
Swenson "Defining a Minimum Viable Product"
PDF
Uxpin guide to_mvps
DOCX
Q&A - Notes for MVP and benefits including resources .docx
PDF
A Minimal Viable Product that works
PDF
Startup Weekend San Antonio - Pre-Event Slides
PDF
MVP_ A Game-Changer for Product Success.pdf
PPTX
LEARN START UP
PDF
Prototyping and MVPs for startups
PDF
Whats my MVP?
PPTX
Validación, entrevistas y prototipado.(EN)
PDF
Product Development - Founder Institute
PPTX
Turning Products Into Companies
PPTX
Building & launching mobile & digital products
PPTX
Minimum Viable Product and Pivot
PPTX
ASU Startup School Session 4
Learning with MVPs
Bootstrap Business Seminar 3: Designing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
BMI and VP Design Propel April 2016
From an idea to an MVP: a guide for startups
Defining a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Swenson "Defining a Minimum Viable Product"
Uxpin guide to_mvps
Q&A - Notes for MVP and benefits including resources .docx
A Minimal Viable Product that works
Startup Weekend San Antonio - Pre-Event Slides
MVP_ A Game-Changer for Product Success.pdf
LEARN START UP
Prototyping and MVPs for startups
Whats my MVP?
Validación, entrevistas y prototipado.(EN)
Product Development - Founder Institute
Turning Products Into Companies
Building & launching mobile & digital products
Minimum Viable Product and Pivot
ASU Startup School Session 4

More from Barry Doctor (8)

PPT
Twitter 101: I'm on Twitter, Now What?
PPS
TM Evaluate to Motivate
PDF
Tips &; tricks for public speaking
PDF
TM Service and Leadership
PPTX
Swift trust enchants customers & businesses
PPTX
Time to talk about it
PPT
New product launch on a shoestring3
PPT
New product launch on a shoestring2
Twitter 101: I'm on Twitter, Now What?
TM Evaluate to Motivate
Tips &; tricks for public speaking
TM Service and Leadership
Swift trust enchants customers & businesses
Time to talk about it
New product launch on a shoestring3
New product launch on a shoestring2

Recently uploaded (20)

PPTX
MYSQL Presentation for SQL database connectivity
PDF
Review of recent advances in non-invasive hemoglobin estimation
PDF
Machine learning based COVID-19 study performance prediction
PDF
Spectral efficient network and resource selection model in 5G networks
PDF
Agricultural_Statistics_at_a_Glance_2022_0.pdf
PDF
7 ChatGPT Prompts to Help You Define Your Ideal Customer Profile.pdf
PPTX
A Presentation on Artificial Intelligence
PDF
Blue Purple Modern Animated Computer Science Presentation.pdf.pdf
PPTX
Big Data Technologies - Introduction.pptx
PPTX
Digital-Transformation-Roadmap-for-Companies.pptx
PPT
Teaching material agriculture food technology
PPT
“AI and Expert System Decision Support & Business Intelligence Systems”
PDF
Encapsulation_ Review paper, used for researhc scholars
PDF
Shreyas Phanse Resume: Experienced Backend Engineer | Java • Spring Boot • Ka...
PDF
Modernizing your data center with Dell and AMD
PDF
Building Integrated photovoltaic BIPV_UPV.pdf
PDF
Per capita expenditure prediction using model stacking based on satellite ima...
PDF
Architecting across the Boundaries of two Complex Domains - Healthcare & Tech...
PDF
NewMind AI Weekly Chronicles - August'25 Week I
DOCX
The AUB Centre for AI in Media Proposal.docx
MYSQL Presentation for SQL database connectivity
Review of recent advances in non-invasive hemoglobin estimation
Machine learning based COVID-19 study performance prediction
Spectral efficient network and resource selection model in 5G networks
Agricultural_Statistics_at_a_Glance_2022_0.pdf
7 ChatGPT Prompts to Help You Define Your Ideal Customer Profile.pdf
A Presentation on Artificial Intelligence
Blue Purple Modern Animated Computer Science Presentation.pdf.pdf
Big Data Technologies - Introduction.pptx
Digital-Transformation-Roadmap-for-Companies.pptx
Teaching material agriculture food technology
“AI and Expert System Decision Support & Business Intelligence Systems”
Encapsulation_ Review paper, used for researhc scholars
Shreyas Phanse Resume: Experienced Backend Engineer | Java • Spring Boot • Ka...
Modernizing your data center with Dell and AMD
Building Integrated photovoltaic BIPV_UPV.pdf
Per capita expenditure prediction using model stacking based on satellite ima...
Architecting across the Boundaries of two Complex Domains - Healthcare & Tech...
NewMind AI Weekly Chronicles - August'25 Week I
The AUB Centre for AI in Media Proposal.docx

MVP - Minimum Viable Product

  • 2. How to Select Your Initial Product Features Barry Doctor, Harborlight Partners
  • 3.  What is it?  What is it NOT?  How do you know?
  • 5.  Delight customers  Get lots of them signed up  Make a lot of $$  Realize some big vision or change the world
  • 7.  “Maximize chances of success” ◦ Build a great product with enough features that increase the odds that customers will want it ◦ Problem: no feedback until the end, might be too late to adjust  “Release early and often” ◦ Get as much feedback as possible – quick ◦ Problem: run around in circles, chasing what customers think they want
  • 8.  Avoid building products that nobody wants  Maximize the learning per dollar spent  Probably much more minimum than you think!
  • 9.  Visionary customers can fill in the gaps on missing features, if the product solves a real problem  Allows us to achieve a big vision in small increments without going in circles  Requires a commitment to iteration
  • 11. Anther Possible Definition: Good products for startups to build Minimum Viable Crappy products nobody wants to use products built by companies better financed than you
  • 14.  What is the Market Problem that your product solves?
  • 15.  I just had an idea  I needed it  I thought it was cool  I had this one guy who wanted it
  • 16.  Who has the problem?  In what industries?  Identify buyers and users  What are they using today instead of your sparkly, glitzy, innovative, never before seen product?
  • 17.  The simplest solution that someone will pay for is the MVP
  • 18.  Describe your MVP concept to possible buyers  Share wireframes or mock-ups  Gather feedback from possible buyers  Do NOT build the product… yet
  • 19.  Do you have a solution seeking a problem?
  • 20.  Identify who (buyers & users) has the problem  Research the target industry  Talk to potential buyers & users  Establish your positioning  Test the concepts
  • 21.  that version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort.
  • 22.  It’s like [reference product in another category]  but for [new application] The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite: it’s like an iPod but for books.
  • 23.  Our <products and services> help <buyers/users> who want to <solve a problem> by <reducing something> and <increasing something else> unlike <competing solution>.
  • 24.  because the concept is flawed  because the solution doesn’t solve the problem  because the product isn’t yet good enough  because the market positioning is wrong  because you’re targeting the wrong customers
  • 26.  Understand the market  Define the market problem  Create Detailed Personas – details in ebook at www.outsideinview.com
  • 27.  Identify the Market Problem first  Determine the target buyer persona  Ensure that the solution will solve the problem AND it is something the target buyer needs and is willing to pay for  Mock up/smoke test/alpha test concept  Collect buyer feedback  Revise & Iterate…
  • 28.  Smoke test / landing page / AdWords / SEM  Alpha test / In-product split testing  Remove some features  Paper prototypes  Customer discovery/validation/feedback – physically do some interviews ◦ Find/create user community ◦ Use Google Hangouts, LinkedIn, Dev communities