Last updated on September 14th, 2016 at 08:52 pm
In his book “The Lean Startup” Eric Reis describes the concept of the minimum viable product (MVP) as the version of a new product “which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort.” In other words, building and releasing a MVP means you release just enough features so that you can gather the kind of data you need to continue developing the product. That type of insight can be a game changer for any B2B business looking to launch something new. So we’ve gathered some of the best posts on MVPs buzzing around on social media, and have compiled them here for you in another edition of B2B Trending Conversations. Enjoy!
3 missteps to avoid when building a minimum viable product
3 missteps to avoid at all costs when building a minimum viable product #startups#entrepreneurhttps://t.co/u7Kzc0QWs5
— Sylvia Norman, PhD (@SylviaNorman11) April 16, 2016
This post from Maciej Zawadziński on The Next Web highlights how important building a minimum viable product is for B2B (or B2C) startups, since “investors more often commit money to scale companies than for initial market and customer testing” these days. There are a few ways you can approach building a minimum viable product but Zawadiński offers a warning about three common missteps you’ll want to avoid no matter what.
Minimum viable product lessons for software teams
Minimum Viable Product – Lessons for Software Teams: https://t.co/annSm749DJ via @codeahoy#Lean#MVPpic.twitter.com/3fvbTayEj2
— ProductPlan (@ProductPlan) August 13, 2016
Attention B2B software teams: this one will be right up your alley. In this post on the Code Ahoy blog, Umer Mansoor covers what software teams can learn from MVP and how they can apply it to build products that meet client needs. “Traditional methodologies guide the software development process to ensure that the product gets built right,” Mansoor says, “but the MVP answers the biggest question: are we building the right product?” Mansoor also goes into detail about personal experiences he’s had working on projects in which building an MVP could have saved him and the team countless hours of time. Take note!
The psychological benefits of the minimum viable product
The Psychological Benefits of the Minimum Viable Product https://t.co/VsxhA5wDi0
— The Practical Dev (@ThePracticalDev) August 9, 2016
Building a minimum viable product can help a business achieve many things. They can test a hypothesis with minimal resources, reduce wasted engineering hours, get the product to customers as soon as possible, and more. In this post on The Practical Developer however, Ben Halpern argues that the most important benefit is something else entirely. Something psychological: sustaining momentum. It’s an interesting, alternative look into the non-tangible effects that the decision to build a minimum viable product can have on an organization.
The “minimum” in MVP: it’s all about the experience
Putting the minimum in minimum viable product (#mvp): it’s about the experience! [Blog] #UX#technologyhttps://t.co/rfGWkTd3dh
— GfK (@GfK) August 14, 2016
Lauren Zack poses an important question in this post for the GfK Insights Blog: how good is good enough for a minimum viable product? The key, says Zack, isn’t focusing on marketing or promotion but instead, focusing on the experience you can provide for your users. “The race to market has never been tighter,” says Zack. “The winners of this race will determine what’s good enough by developing strategies that incorporate a focus on the experience in their definition of minimum viable product.”
Since the idea of building a minimum viable product is particularly relevant to B2B entrepreneurs and startups, you might also want to check out last week’s post from Brett Wilkins, which focused on exactly that. As always, if you have any B2B content or ideas you think we should focus on next week, let us know via @b2bnewsnetwork. We love hearing from you!
Image credit: Henrik Kniberg
