Where I live, you can tell when summer arrives.
Long rows of plowed dirt as far as the eye can see. Dense waves of green wheat bending beneath the wind as far as the eye can see. Knee-high corn stalks as far as the eye can see.
It’s a perfect time to break out the cut-off jean shorts, steel beverage tub, and a Russian science fiction novel.
Circumstances may be different for you, but no matter where you are, the slow pace of summer is also the perfect time to prepare for a product launch.
Why prepare in the summer? And why launch a product?
First, the return of fall brings with it an eager confederacy (back from summer vacations and sleepy afternoons hiding from the heat) itching to get back to business.
And second, launching a product has probably been on your bucket list for years.
But for some of you, the idea of launching a product stirs two competing emotions in you — hope and fear. Fortunately, this post is for you.
What is an MVP?
We all fear getting started. Stepping forth into the unknown future. Taking the risk of following our dreams. This seems to be the hardest hurdle to overcome. If only there was an easy way to get started, build momentum, and keep that momentum.
There is — and it’s called a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
Eric Ries, an entrepreneur and author of The Lean Startup, explains:
The minimum viable product is that version of a new product