How the MVP playbook has changed.
And why you need to build a minimum loveable product instead.
“Launch fast, cheap and iterate.”
We’ve all heard it. It was the mantra of those in the startup world for years and for a period of time, it was true.
But what makes a minimum viable product actually viable has shifted greatly in recent years.
Think back to the glory days of Kickstarter when we gave our hard earned money away on what was quite literally a promise and an idea - not a finished website or peer review to validate it and often not even a prototype. What used to be enough was different:
A landing page and a brand slapped together in canva, lacking finesse.
A working prototype without polish.
A functional, but unattractive product.
A scrappy, early-access waitlist.
The old ethos was to put these things out there and prove demand for the business.
But I argue that now it’s far more important to prove relevance to show the long term viability of a business. To be relevant as a brand means to integrate seamlessly into the cultural discourse, to be a leader and tastemaker, to give the customer a beautifully curated mirror in which they can see the best version of themselves. These things are almost impossible to achieve if we follow the old MVP playbook.
The rules have changed and if you don’t follow them the likelihood of success - of creating something that is actually viable - diminishes quickly.
So if you’re thinking of launching a business, in the midst of it, or are currently reviewing what went right or wrong for your launch, consider this weeks newsletter your bible as to what an MVP should look like in 2025 in order to launch a successful startup.
Let’s get acquainted with the Minimum Loveable Product (MLP)