MVP

CASESTUDY
Hashtag: #leanstartup
ASH MAURYA
@ashmaurya

ashmaurya.com
spark59.com

IDEAS

LEARN

BUILD

DATA

PRODUCT

MEASURE

IDEAS

LEARN

BUILD

DATA

PRODUCT

MEASURE

Customer
Interviews
Demos
Teaser Pages
Smoke Tests
Release 1.0
Concierge MVP
Wizard of Oz MVP

An MVP is the smallest solution that

delivers customer value.

IDEAS

LEARN

BUILD

DATA

PRODUCT

MEASURE

Customer
Interviews
Demos
Teaser Pages
Smoke Tests
Release 1.0
Concierge MVP
Wizard of Oz MVP

An MVP is the smallest solution that

delivers customer value.

(BONUS: And captures customer

value.)

AGENDA

01 Finding a problem worth

solving
02 Defining the MVP

03 Maximizing for learning

AGENDA

01 Finding a problem worth

solving
02 Defining the MVP

03 Maximizing for learning

Time

Blog

Time

Book
Blog

Time

Workshops
Book
Blog

Time

Workshops
Book
Blog

Time

Awesome
Solution

We built it and we didnt expect it to be a company,

we were just building this because we thought it was awesome.
- Mark Zuckerberg

Your solution is NOT the

product
Solution

Your business model is the product

Problem

Solution

Key Metrics

Cost Structure

Unique Value Unfair

Customer

Proposition

Segments

Advantage

Channels

Revenue Streams

Problem
Interviews
Workshops
Book
Blog

Time

PROBLEM

EXISTING
ALTERNATIVES

CUSTOMER
SEGMENTS

EARLY
ADOPTERS

PROBLEM

CUSTOMER
SEGMENTS

1. Hard to measure real progress.

2. Drown in a sea of numbers.
3. Metrics cant tell you why.
EXISTING
ALTERNATIVES

EARLY
ADOPTERS

PROBLEM

CUSTOMER
SEGMENTS

1. Hard to measure real progress.

2. Drown in a sea of numbers.

Software Companies

3. Metrics cant tell you why.

EXISTING
ALTERNATIVES

EARLY
ADOPTERS

PROBLEM

CUSTOMER
SEGMENTS

1. Hard to measure real progress.

2. Drown in a sea of numbers.

Software Companies

3. Metrics cant tell you why.

EXISTING
ALTERNATIVES

1. Homegrown
2. Analytics & CRM software

EARLY
ADOPTERS

PROBLEM

CUSTOMER
SEGMENTS

1. Hard to measure real progress.

2. Drown in a sea of numbers.

Software Companies

3. Metrics cant tell you why.

EXISTING
ALTERNATIVES

1. Homegrown
2. Analytics & CRM software

EARLY
ADOPTERS

SaaS products
with > 20 sign-ups/day

AGENDA

01 Finding a problem worth

solving
02 Defining the MVP

03 Maximizing for learning

SOLUTION

SOLUTION

1. Pirate metrics + cohorts

2. Lifecycle messaging
3. Actionable visualization

SOLUTION

1. Pirate metrics + cohorts

2. Lifecycle messaging
3. Actionable visualization

Simple to understand.
Hard to implement so its
simple.

Build
Demo
Problem
Interviews
Workshops
Book
Blog

Time

You dont need code to test a vision.

1. Are we making progress? - WHAT

Thursday, April 12, 12

1. Are we making progress? - WHAT

2. What caused the change? - WHY

Thursday, April 12, 12

1. Are we making progress? - WHAT

2. What caused the change? - WHY
3. How do we improve? - HOW

Thursday, April 12, 12

June
Acquisition
1000 (100%)
Activated
800 (80%)
Retention
500 (50%)
Revenue
100 (10%)

Pros: Simple and visual

May

June

Acquisition
900 (100%)

Acquisition
1000 (100%)

Activated
750 (83%)

Activated
900 (90%)

Retention
500 (56%)

Retention
500 (50%)

Revenue
95 (11%)

Revenue
100 (10%)

Cons: Hard to see what changed.

May

June

Activation
900 (100%)

Activation
1000 (100%)

Activated
750 (83%)

Activated
900 (90%)

Retention
500 (56%)

Retention
500 (50%)

Revenue
95 (11%)

Revenue
100 (10%)

May

June

Activation
900 (100%)

Activation
1000 (100%)

Activated
750 (83%)

Activated
900 (90%)

Retention
500 (56%)

Retention
500 (50%)

Revenue
95 (11%)

Revenue
100 (10%)

May

June

Activation
900 (100%)

Activation
1000 (100%)

Activated
750 (83%)

Activated
900 (90%)

Retention
500 (56%)

Retention
500 (50%)

Revenue
95 (11%)

Revenue
100 (10%)

JUNE

MAY

900

1000

signed-up

ACTIVATION RATE

83%

90%

RETENTION RATE

56%

50%

PAID

11%

10%
0

20

40

60

80

100

20

signed-up

40

60

80

100

JUNE

MAY

900

1000

signed-up

ACTIVATION RATE

83%

90%

RETENTION RATE

56%

50%

PAID

11%

10%
0

20

40

60

80

100

20

signed-up

40

60

80

100

JUNE

1000
ACTIVATION RATE

90%

RETENTION RATE

50%

PAID

10%
0

20

signed-up

40

60

80

100

Days not weeks or months.

Solution
Interviews
Build
Demo
Problem
Interviews
Workshops
Book
Blog

Time

AGENDA

01 Finding a problem worth

solving
02 Defining the MVP

03 Maximizing for learning

ttention

I
A

nterest

ction

esire

ttention

I
A

nterest

ction

esire

01 Nail the problem.

ttention

I
A

nterest

ction

esire

02 Deliver a compelling demo.

ttention

I
A

nterest

ction

esire

PROSPECTS / USERS
Stage 1

100

Stage 2

1,000

Stage 3

10,000

Stage 4

100,000

CUSTOMERS
10

High-touch, Market Risk,

Qualitative

100
1,000
10,000

10X Product Launch

Self-serve, Technical Risk,

Quantiative

03 Unintentional use of prizing and scarcity.

Position your MVP as the prize.

04 Dont lower sign-up friction. Raise it.

Qualify early adopters.

EXISTING
ALTERNATIVES

1. Homegrown

SaaS products

2. Analytics & CRM software

with > 20 sign-ups/day

REVENUE STREAMS

30-day trial @ $150-200/mo

05 Use price anchoring.

$200/mo < 4 developer hours /mo

Could you build a similar homegrown

system spending half a day/month?

06 Make a big promise you plan on keeping.

Deliver value or go home.

THANKS!
ASH
MAURYA

ashmaurya.com
@ashmaurya
spark59.com