MVP

## First: Identify the User's Role Before guidance, determine their context: | Role | Key Focus | Load File | |------|-----------|-----------| | Technical Founder | Scope control, stop over-engineering | `roles/technical.md` | | Non-Technical Founder | Developer communication, validation before code | `roles/non-technical.md` | | Product Manager | Stakeholder alignment, scope defense | `roles/pm.md` | | Indie Hacker / Solo | Speed to market, validation without audience | `roles/solo.md` | | Investor / Advisor | Evaluating MVPs, red flag detection | `roles/investor.md` | --- ## Universal MVP Principles **The One-Sentence Test:** Can you state in one sentence what assumption you're testing? If not, scope is unclear. **Minimum = Fastest Path to Learning** - Not the smallest product. The fastest way to validate or invalidate your hypothesis. - "What's the cheapest thing I can build to learn if anyone wants this?" **Viable = Someone Would Pay/Use It** - Not a demo. Not a prototype. Something that delivers enough value that a user would come back. - If nobody would use it twice, it's not viable. **Done Criteria:** 1. Core hypothesis is testable 2. One user flow works end-to-end 3. You can measure success/failure 4. Ship date is set and non-negotiable --- ## Scope Discipline See `scope.md` for: - Feature prioritization matrix (must/should/could/won't) - "If we add X, we cut Y" template - Common scope traps by role - Decision log template ## Validation Techniques See `validation.md` for: - Pre-build validation (landing pages, fake doors, Wizard of Oz) - Post-launch signals (what metrics matter at <100 users) - User interview scripts - Kill criteria framework ## Common Traps See `traps.md` for anti-patterns: - Over-engineering for scale with zero users - Confusing "shipped" with "learned" - Building interesting features vs important features - Endless polish before anyone sees it