A Smart Bear · Jason Cohen
articleprincipleYour customers hate MVPs. Make a SLC instead.
3 September 2023Profit
Source excerpt
About A Smart Bear"MVP" implies a selfish process, abusing customers so you can "learn". Instead, make the first version SLC: Simple, Lovable, and Complete".
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Apollo layer
What a founder can learn
Founder takeaway
Design the first release as a small but complete customer experience—not merely the least you can ship. Narrow the problem and feature set until you can deliver something simple, genuinely appealing, and usable end to end.
Why it matters
An incomplete MVP may optimize for your learning at the customer’s expense. A focused, lovable, complete release can generate learning while also earning trust and giving customers a clear reason to adopt it.
Put it to work
For your next release, ask: What can we remove from scope while still giving one specific customer a complete, satisfying outcome?
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