The MVP is Dead: Why Today's Market Demands More

Estimated read time: 2 minutes 20 seconds

The MVP is dead. Not because its principles were wrong, but because the market has evolved beyond it.

When Eric Ries introduced the Minimum Viable Product concept in his book "The Lean Startup," it was revolutionary. Ship something basic. Get feedback. Iterate. This approach saved countless startups from building products nobody wanted.

But that was 2011. The bar for "viable" has changed dramatically.

Today's users have thousands of beautifully designed products competing for their attention. They've experienced the polish of Notion, the intuitiveness of Stripe, and the reliability of Figma. These experiences haven't just raised expectations – they've fundamentally changed what users consider "minimum."

The core principle of MVPs remains valid: validate your assumptions quickly before building everything. But the implementation needs updating. Here's why:

1. Users now equate poor design with poor trustworthiness.

2. Competition is a click away, not a complex installation

3. First impressions last longer in a crowded market

4. Social sharing means your early product becomes your public resume

This is why Sachin Rekhi's concept of Minimum Loveable Product (MLP) resonates more today. The goal isn't just to be viable – it's to be loved by a small group of users who will champion your product. (How Airbnb followed the same advice in the early days)

But how do you balance speed with quality? Here's what I've learned:

Pick One Thing and Make it Great: Instead of building multiple mediocre features, build one exceptional one. Better to be loved for something small than ignored for something comprehensive.

Design is No Longer Optional: Good design isn't about aesthetics – it's about trust. Users assume if you can't invest in basic design, you won't invest in their problems.

Focus on the Core Experience: Your product might do less than competitors, but what it does should feel complete. No dead ends. No "coming soon" features. Just a focused, polished core.

Test Assumptions, Not Just Features: The lean startup principle of testing assumptions remains crucial. But you can test them with prototypes, interviews, and demos before shipping half-baked features.

What does this mean practically?

Instead of: "Ship it fast and fix it later"

Think: "Ship it focused and expand it later"

Instead of: "What's the minimum we can build?"

Ask: "What's the minimum we can make people love?"

The MVP isn't dead because it was wrong. It's dead because it worked too well. It helped create a world of sophisticated users who expect more from day one.

Your first version still shouldn't try to do everything. But what it does, it needs to do beautifully.