5 Design Hacks to super-charge your MVP

Skyrocket Early Product Design 5 hacks to super-charge your MVP* *Minimum Viable Product

Is this you? • need to accelerate early design process

Is this you? • need to accelerate early design process • tough to find the right early customers

Is this you? • need to accelerate early design process • tough to find the right early customers • hard to make a stripped-down MVP

What You Will Learn Actionable techniques for creating a better product in less time

Who is this for?

Who is this for? Innovators & entrepreneurs with a hot idea and the desire to:

Who is this for? Innovators & entrepreneurs with a hot idea and the desire to: ✓ Create a highly-engaging product

Who is this for? Innovators & entrepreneurs with a hot idea and the desire to: ✓ Create a highly-engaging product ✓ Achieve mass-market success

Who is this for? Innovators & entrepreneurs with a   hot idea and the desire to: ✓ Create a highly-engaging product ✓ Achieve mass-market success ✓ Speed up design & development

Who is this NOT for? Anyone looking for:

Who is this NOT for? Anyone looking for: ✗ Easy answers

Who is this NOT for? Anyone looking for: ✗ Easy answers ✗ Silver bullets

Who is this NOT for? Anyone looking for: ✗ Easy answers ✗ Silver bullets ✗ Manipulative game mechanics

Who is this NOT for? Anyone looking for: ✗ Easy answers ✗ Silver bullets ✗ Manipulative game mechanics ✗ Skinner Box approach to engagement

Amy Jo Kim, Ph.D.

Amy Jo Kim, Ph.D. • Social Game Designer • Entrepreneur • Startup Coach

Habits, Culture & Design Hacks

What I’ve learned • Early product development is HARD

What I’ve learned • Early product development is HARD • It becomes faster & easier with the right shortcuts & hacks

What I’ve learned • Early product development is HARD • It becomes faster & easier with the right shortcuts & hacks • How would you like to make 6 months of progress in 6 weeks?

Case Study

Amy Jo has a refined and effective process for bringing early product ideas to life. Blair Ethington VP Covet Fashion

Initial Challenge • Test & refine innovative coop game idea with non-gamer audience G2A Action Plan • Product strategy • Early Adopters • Prototype & Test • Customer feedback Key Results • Found early market • Financially successful evergreen hit

Initial Challenge • Test & refine innovative coop game idea with non-gamer audience G2A Action Plan • Clarify product strategy & constraints • Find & learn from Early Adopters • Run weekly interviews & playlists Key Results • Found early market • Financially successful evergreen hit

Initial Challenge • Test & refine innovative coop game idea with non-gamer audience G2A Action Plan • Clarify product strategy & constraints • Find & learn from Early Adopters • Run weekly interviews & playlists Key Results • Found early aspirational market • Financially successful evergreen hit

Amy Jo’s MVP methodology is fantastic. The ROI you’ll see is a no-brainer. Ofer Leidner President, Happify

Initial Challenges • Build prototype • Find early market • Prove business model G2A Action Plan • Product strategy • Early Adopters • Prototype & Test • Customer feedback Key Results • Contact with early enthusiasts • Market leader in digital health

Initial Challenges • Build prototype • Find early market • Prove business model G2A Action Plan • Clarify product strategy • Find & learn from Early Adopters • Prototype & test Core Loop Key Results • Contact with early enthusiasts • Market leader in digital health

Initial Challenges • Build prototype • Find early market • Prove business model G2A Action Plan • Clarify product strategy • Find & learn from Early Adopters • Prototype & test Core Loop Key Results • Built product with customer input • Market leader in digital health

What if you could… • Accelerate your early product development?

What if you could… • Accelerate your early product development? • Talk with EXACTLY the right customers early on?

What if you could… • Accelerate your early product development? • Talk with EXACTLY the right customers early on? • Turn those insights into a simple yet compelling MVP*? *Minimum Viable Product

What if you could… • Accelerate your early product development? • Talk with EXACTLY the right customers early on? • Turn those insights into a simple yet compelling MVP*? • Do all of this in just a few weeks? *Minimum Viable Product

5 Design Hacks to super-charge your MVP

Small, high-learning experiments1 To increase your chances of success, minimize time through the Build-Measure-Learn cycle. Eric Ries Author, The Lean Startup

Ideas Design &   Build Product Measure Data Learn Ask the hard, important questions upfront

Will people subscribe to a digital service   that delivers  daily happiness exercises?

Will fashion-loving, young women play a   dress-up game with real designer clothes?

Surface & test your highest-risk assumptions MVP Canvas

Early Adopter Funnel2 Early Adopters will put up with cost & ridicule for innovations that meet real needs. Erika Hall Author, Just Enough Research

Geoffrey Moore, 1992 To cross   the chasm…

Find & delight a few passionate Early Adopters

Test & refine   your assumptions

Ask just a few revealing questions Daily Habits Beliefs & Ideas Unmet Needs

• 25 fashion-obsessed women 18-40 • both gamers & non-gamers • existing player base + Craigslist ads WHO

• 25 fashion-obsessed women 18-40 • both gamers & non-gamers • existing player base + Craigslist ads • 10 minute screening interviews • 3-5 revealing questions • best subjects become paid testers WHO WHAT

Fashion Browser stay up-to-date on fashion trends Co-Creator shop & dress with a buddy Armchair Stylist tell other people how to dress RESULTS  3 key activity patterns

Customer Habit Stories3 The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. Samuel Johnson Author

Piggyback on  existing habits

• Identify relevant habits Study their daily routines

• Identify relevant habits • Match a habit to an unmet need Study their daily routines

• Identify relevant habits • Match a habit to an unmet need • Look for emotional and situational triggers Study their daily routines

Capture Insights with Habit Stories* When _________ I want to ______________ so I can _____________ trigger activity + goal outcome *habit-based Job Stories

Fashion Browser stay up-to-date on fashion trends Co-Creator shop & dress with a buddy Armchair Stylist tell other people how to dress

Fashion Browser Existing habit “When I’m tired after a long day at work, I want to flop on the couch and get the escapist, immersive hit of flipping through Vogue - but in a game.”

Fashion Browser Habit Story When I need to relax after a long day at work      Trigger

Fashion Browser Habit Story When I need to relax after a long day at work      I want to see gorgeous, creative outfits – made from the latest designer fashions    Activity Trigger

Fashion Browser Habit Story When I need to relax after a long day at work      I want to see gorgeous, creative outfits – made from the latest designer fashions    So I can stay on top of fashion trends in a fun, relaxing & playful way Activity Outcome Trigger

Skill-building Core Loop4 In a loop, you’re learning a skill and updating your mental model. That’s what leads to player delight. Dan Cook Game Designer

Fake   landing page?

Operant Conditioning AKA   Skinner Box?

Operant Conditioning AKA   Skinner Box? X

Skill-building = making customers more awesome

Core Loop =   skill-building habit loop

EscapeTime!  urge to dive into an escapist world Browse your Style Feed Rate/Comment on Outfits Earn $$, Dress for Events, Collect Ratings Activity Feedback & Progress Investment Path Trigger

EscapeTime!  urge to dive into an escapist world Browse your Style Feed Rate/Comment on Outfits Earn $$, Dress for Events, Collect Ratings Activity Feedback & Progress Investment Path Trigger When I need to relax after a long day at work  I want to see gorgeous, creative outfits – made from the latest designer fashions  So I can stay on top of fashion trends in a fun, relaxing & playful way Urge or Need Engaging Activity Desired Outcome

EscapeTime!  urge to dive into an escapist world Browse your Style Feed Rate/Comment on Outfits Earn $$, Dress for Events, Collect Ratings Trigger Activity Engaging activity   satisfies an urge or need Trigger

EscapeTime!  urge to dive into an escapist world Browse your Style Feed Rate/Comment on Outfits Earn $$, Dress for Events, Collect Ratings Activity Trigger Fashion Browser

Feedback & progress promote learning & mastery EscapeTime!  urge to dive into an escapist world Browse your Style Feed Rate/Comment on Outfits Earn $$, Dress for Events, Collect Ratings Feedback & Progress

EscapeTime!  urge to dive into an escapist world Browse your Style Feed Rate/Comment on Outfits Earn $$, Dress for Events, Collect Ratings Feedback & Progress Armchair Stylist

EscapeTime!  urge to dive into an escapist world Browse your Style Feed Rate/Comment on Outfits Earn $$, Dress for Events, Collect Ratings Investment Path Investment   & triggers   pull people back Secondary Trigger Check your Stats

BreakTime!  urge for a quick social “hit” Read & Respond to Updates Check Notifications  & Stats Collect faves, RTs & followers Activity Feedback & Progress Investment Check your Stats

BreakTime!  urge for a quick social “hit” Read & Respond to Updates Check Notifications  & Stats Collect faves, RTs & followers Activity TriggerEngaging activity   satisfies an urge or need

Feedback   & progress promote learning & mastery BreakTime!  urge for a quick social “hit” Read & Respond to Updates Check Notifications  & Stats Collect faves, RTs & followers Feedback & Progress Check your Stats

Investment   & triggers   pull people back BreakTime!  urge for a quick social “hit” Read & Respond to Updates Get Notifications,  Check Stats Collect faves, RTs & followers Activity Investment Engaged Trigger Check your Stats

PartyTime!  urge for a fun social activity Play a Song Together Get your Score, Accolades, $$ get better, play harder songs & bigger venues Core Loop Feedback & Progress Investment Trigger Activity

Lightweight weekly play-tests5 There is nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency something that should not be done at all. Peter Drucker Author

The power of play-testing • Find & leverage early customers

The power of play-testing • Find & leverage early customers • Source & test ideas quickly

The power of play-testing • Find & leverage early customers • Source & test ideas quickly • Get high-value input for your MVP

Amy Jo helped us create our MVP in record time. An invaluable investment that’s still paying off. Ranan Lachman CEO, Pley

Initial Challenges • Quickly build MVP for Pley community

Initial Challenges • Quickly build MVP for Pley community G2A Action Plan • Clarify product strategy • Find & learn from Early Adopters • Prototype & test MVP

Initial Challenges • Quickly build MVP for Pley community G2A Action Plan • Clarify product strategy • Find & learn from Early Adopters • Prototype & test MVP Key Results • YouTube channel launched for MVP • raised Series B • Integrated video-sharing

Small, high-learning experiments Early Adopter funnel Customer Habit Stories Skill-building Core Loop Lightweight weekly play-tests 1 2 3 4 5 5 Design Hacks

How can you benefit from these design hacks?

How can you benefit from these design hacks? • Accelerate your design & development process

How can you benefit from these design hacks? • Accelerate your design & development process • Identify & leverage the right early customers

How can you benefit from these design hacks? • Accelerate your design & development process • Identify & leverage the right early customers • Create & run low-fidelity, high-learning play-tests

How can you benefit from these design hacks? • Accelerate your design & development process • Identify & leverage the right early customers • Create & run low-fidelity, high-learning play-tests • Design a simple, compelling MVP

What We Do accelerate your path to product/market fit

How We Can Help • Define & test your key assumptions

How We Can Help • Define & test your key assumptions • Find & delight the right Early Adopters

How We Can Help • Define & test your key assumptions • Find & delight the right Early Adopters • Create & test a simple, compelling MVP using Game Design techniques & shortcuts

Let’s talk! • 15-30 minutes

Let’s talk! • 15-30 minutes • Review your project

Let’s talk! • 15-30 minutes • Review your project • Provide feedback & answer questions

Let’s talk! • 15-30 minutes • Review your project • Provide feedback & answer questions • Together decide if our programs are right for you

getting2alpha.com Let’s talk!