1. mvps in
practice
http://startupmba.foundercentric.com

2. hello@foundercentric.com
foundercentric.com
@foundercentric
!
Mailing list: http://bit.ly/fc-list

3. FORM & FUNCTION

4. FORM FOLLOWS
FUNCTION
An objects shape should be based
on and exhibit it's primary purpose.

5. Good design is
as little design
as possible”
Dieter Rams
“

6. PERFORMANCE VERSUS
PREFERENCE
The designs that help people perform optimally
are often not the same as the designs they find
most desirable.

7. PERFORMANCE VERSUS
PREFERENCE

8. PERFORMANCE VERSUS
PREFERENCE
Dvorak

9. HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Based on Maslow's
Hierarchy of Needs
FUNCTIONALITY
RELIABILITY
USABILITY
PROFICIENCY
CREATIVITY

10. THE ANATOMY
OF A GOOD MVP

11. WHAT IS AN MVP, REALLY?
An MVP is the smallest thing you can
build that tests your business.

12. WHAT IS AN MVP, REALLY?
An MVP is the smallest thing you can
build that tests your business.
NO!

13. WHAT IS AN MVP, REALLY?
An MVP is an experiment that tests a
critical, falsifiable hypothesis of your
business.

14. DESIGNING A
GOOD EXPERIMENT
MVP
customers learnin’
!

15. SO, WHAT IS AN MVP?
MVPs are just a tool to conduct fast,
measurable customer learning.

16. THREE
OF MVPs
TYPES

17. THREE METHODS OF LEARNING
Exploration

18. Pitch
THREE METHODS OF LEARNING

19. Concierge
THREE METHODS OF LEARNING

20. AN MVP IS CUSTOMER
VALIDATED LEARNING
The MVP is just the vehicle. Decide
what you need to test and choose
your weapon.

21. EXPLORATION
1

22. “OK...

23. “OK... I WANT TO CREATE
AN ONLINE MARKET
PLACE

24. “OK... I WANT TO CREATE
AN ONLINE MARKET
PLACE FOR FINE MARBLE
SCULPTURES”

25. LET’S DESIGN A TEST!

26. LET’S DESIGN A TEST!

27. LET’S DESIGN A TEST!

28. EXPLORE IS GREAT WHEN
• You have an early idea
• You don’t know what budget you belong to
• You don’t know how to segment your
customers
• You don’t know how consistent your problem is

29. PITCH
2

30. A PITCH MVP IS BASICALLY
A LANDING PAGE

31. A PITCH MVP IS
“BASICALLY” A LANDING
PAGE

33. WHAT ARE MOST LANDING
PAGES TESTING?
Usually, just if your copy describes a
pain or problem that potential
customers have

34. If people have that problem?
If people will pay for it?
If a segment identifies with that
problem?
WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY
WANT TO TEST?

37. “AND WHAT IF MY
PRODUCT ISN’T AN
APP?”

39. PITCH IS GREAT WHEN...
• You have an idea when / how people will buy
from you
• You have an idea where customers would look
for you
• You have an action you want to measure for

40. CONCIERGE
3

41. BOB

42. !

43. EMAIL

44. CONCIERGE IS GREAT WHEN...
• Confident on your customer segment
• Building a full solution is a large, uncertain
investment
• You have an idea for a solution, but you’re not
sure how to execute it

45. PROTOTYPE
4

46. A PROTOTYPE MVP IS THE
“FUCK IT, LET’S TRY IT” OF
MVPS
Perfect for when your company is
creating novel value.

49. PROTOTYPE IS GREAT WHEN...
• You have a novel solution that needs testing
• The other three methods of learning can’t
execute the experiment

50. A WARNING LABEL
A prototype MVP is still a throwaway
experimentation tool. Not your first
version!

51. THE WRAP UP
• MVPs are about designing falsifiable
experiments, not making first versions
• Choose the tool that best tests your hypothesis
• More often then not, that tool isn’t a landing
page
• Keep them quick, sloppy, and disposable.