Here’s What Happens When You Have a Bad Minimum Viable Product

Very few MVPs are complete successes out of the gate

Last week, I took an hour or so to walk a founder through the forensics of her failed minimum viable product (MVP) launch.

As someone who has launched dozens of minimum viable products — from software to hardware to retail and more — I can definitively state that your MVP launch will end one of three ways.

The first two outcomes are rare, so I won’t spend much time on them:

1. The MVP is a smashing success, in which case, congratulations!

2. The MVP is an unmitigated failure, in which case, you have my sympathies.

But the vast majority of MVP launches result in an outcome that can only be labeled:

3. “Yeah, it’s viable. Now what?”

The worst of the bunch are the ones that don’t give much of a signal as to whether or not you should move forward. So here’s what I do when I can’t figure out what my next step should be.

Your Results Are Vague? Ask Again Later.

If I’m truly on the fence as to whether or not I’ve got a winner on my hands, I can extend the MVP pilot and reassess.