The document discusses effective use of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). It notes that MVPs can be used to test assumptions about customers and the market with minimal resources. The author shares their experience using MVPs at different stages of their startup Cubicle, which provides work management software for engineering projects. They initially created PowerPoint diagrams, Excel prototypes, and HTML prototypes as MVPs to validate ideas with customers before developing a full functioning software demo. The document advises starting conversations with customers early, conducting basic market research, using MVPs to minimize risk, building a team, raising money, and then starting your entrepreneurial journey.

1. Effective use of a Minimum Viable Product
-by Pushkar Gaikwad
CEO, Enter Tech Solutions / CubicleProjects
Entrepreneur at Start-up Chile

2. Myself
• Pushkar Gaikwad – Chemical Engineer from IIT Bombay
• 5 Years in Oil & Gas Industry
• Started working on my startup “cubicleprojects.com” in May 2013
• My experiences taught me planning to minimize risk in a start-up

3. Cubicle
• Work Management for Engineering Projects
• Combines ERP with Project Management Tools
• In these slides I will share my experience of using Minimum
Viable Products (MVP) for early customer validations

4. Idea
• Product / Service
• Customers
• Competition
• Capital
• Team
• Industry Trends
Basically I started with an idea for an
‘Integrated Project Management Platform’
while working as an Engineer
But there were MANY different factors
which influenced viability of the IDEA. And
each one needed to be tested.

5. Showstoppers?
• Getting started
• No Product / No Customers
Often people have a great idea. But give up
without any execution. And then 3 years
later you see someone else making millions
with the same business
So if you decide to execute, make sure your
product is technically feasible AND SALEABLE.
Most start-ups fail because they can’t find any
buyers.

6. Risk Assessment
• Technological feasibility?
• Do you solve a PRESSING problem?
• Single dominant player in market?
• Long enough financial runway?
• 10X changes approaching?

7. Customer Development – Steve Blank
Customer
Discovery
Customer
Validation
Customer
Creation
Building
Company
MVP

8. Minimum Viable Product
• Test customer needs
• Determine minimum feature set
• Fix Bugs and Defects (code + workflow)
• Start making money!
MVP is a tool you can use to test certain
assumptions about the market. And if the
MVP is good you can also monetize it.

9. MVP for Cubicle
1st Powerpoint Workflow Diagrams
2nd UI designed in Excel
3rd HTML Prototype
4th A functioning demo version in the cloud
For Cubicle, we started talking to
customers from Day0, using different MVPs
parallel to product development to validate
whatever we were doing.

10. Powerpoint
Animations
Videos with
workflow

11. UI Mock-ups
In Excel

12. Functioning software
prototype that
can be monetized

13. Different Tools for MVP
Excel Sheets – Quick to make, Testing not scalable
Powerpoint Presentations – Quick to make, Difficult to scale testing
Functioning App Prototype – Take longer, but Scalable Testing
Improve knowledge about customers
Improve product structure / features
Make some money

14. MVP for Flying Drones with Cameras
Drones Cameras Spectral Maps
What should be the MVP ?
http://www.linkedin.com/influencer/95015

15. To summarize…
It’s never too early to talk to customers
Basic market research can help a long way
Use MVPs and minimize risk

16. To summarize…
It’s never too early to talk to customers
Basic market research can help a long way
Use MVPs and minimize risk
Build a team
Raise money
Start your journey !!

17. www.cubicleprojects.com
Good Luck !!!
pushkargaikwad@cubicleprojects.com