A recent chat with a developer inspired me to share a brilliant analogy about two approaches to creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). It’s a lesson worth heeding for anyone venturing into product development.
Two Paths to an MVP
The first approach: You craft a wheel, then a frame, and eventually add a body. Months later, you unveil a fully built car — only to discover no one wants it. The second approach: Launch a basic scooter as early as possible. People ride it, complain, and you iterate. The scooter evolves into a bicycle, then a motorcycle, and finally a car that people genuinely want to buy. The key difference? Users engage with the product from day one.
In my venture experience, I’ve seen hundreds of founders opt for the first route. They spend months perfecting every detail, while competitors release rough MVPs, iterate based on feedback, and capture the market.
The Outcomes
The first path burns cash as teams toil in offices (or remotely—location doesn’t change the outcome) brainstorming features. You launch with a polished product, only to find zero users. The second path generates revenue early, gathers real feedback, and ensures each update addresses actual problems. Users become co-creators, guiding the product’s evolution.
A scooter reveals the right wheel design. A bicycle highlights the need for balance. Each stage builds toward the next. Trying to build a car from scratch, however, risks creating something irrelevant. Months of guesswork can lead to a revelation: people wanted something entirely different.
Also read:
- Unfiltered AI: Venice Speaks Its Mind Without Restraint
- Want an AI to Work for You, Not Against You? Master These 7 Prompting Rules
- The $200 Million Mistake: How ‘Vibe Coding’ Nearly Bankrupted an AI Startup Founder
The True Essence of an MVP
An MVP isn’t about realizing your vision — it’s a tool to quickly uncover what you don’t know about user needs. Launch fast, even if it feels awkward or, at times, embarrassing. It’s better to stumble early than never start at all.
