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Startup School

MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

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Goal of a pre-launch startup:

  • Launch quickly (MVP)
  • Get initial customers
  • Talk to customers and get feedback
  • Iterate (improve the product)

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The problem is that founders think the following:

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Software MVP

  • Very fast to build (weeks not months)
  • Very limited functionality
  • Appeal to a small set of users

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Example 1: Airbnb

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  • No payments�
  • No map view�
  • Must have airbed�
  • Only for conferences

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Example 2: Twitch (Justin.tv)

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  • 1 channel�
  • Low res video�
  • No video games�
  • Extremely expensive streaming costs

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Example 3: Stripe (/dev/payments)

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  • No bank deals�
  • Very few features �
  • Founders were doing paperwork in the background

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Learning from customers is easier with an MVP than without.

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Hacks for building an MVP quickly

  • Time box your spec
  • Write your spec
  • Cut your spec
  • Don’t fall in love with your MVP!

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Thank you