Idea to MVP

Define your main market on the sticky board. Who is your key user or buyer (people affected by the problem)? Who are you creating this solution (idea, product, solution, advertising, etc.) for?

Be specific (age, sex, social status, size, etc)

In this step, dig a little bit deeper and consider the reason behind that need and what negative emotions are they trying to avoid. Think about all the negative emotions, undesired costs or situations, and risks the customer/user (could) experience before, during, or after getting the job done. Ask yourself: What is stopping them from achieving their goal or job? What is it? When does it happen? Why does it happen? How does it happen?

In this step, with your team, define how the user and the buyer feel without your solution and how they would feel once they have your solution.

With your team, create a list of reasons why they (user, customer, etc.) need your solution or idea. Cover the following questions: What social, emotional, cognitive, or functional jobs do your customers do on a daily basis? Why? Uncover why they need to do each of these things and you'll start to understand their lives more deeply. What prevents them from doing their jobs? Why do they need your solution? What type of "needs" do you cover? Primary needs? How is your solution solving their problem?

Define the space where your user (customer, etc.) uses the solution. Try to be as descriptive as possible and imagine the space and the things around them.

Think about all the ❤️🔥 benefits the customer/user expects, or would be surprised by. This includes functional utility, social gains, positive emotions, cost savings, etc.

Describe in detail what problem you are solving with your solution or idea.

Use the “5-whys” model to get to the bottom of the reason a feature is needed. Most of the time, new features and products can be solved via optimization or UX change of current features or products.

Open the whiteboard below to discuss and uncover the Root Cause of the Problem. 👇👇

🔴 Tip: Do not create an MVP or define your assumptions withour understanding the problem.

🧞‍♂‍ Learn more about this method here.

Start with the core of everything: what real problem do you solve, for whom, and why it matters now. Don’t describe features — describe the change you create. Ask yourself:

Value proposition statement template:

Our [🛵product/service] helps [🙂user type/target segment] who wants to [job to be done] by [verb (like reducing, avoiding)] and [customer pain] and [verb (increasing/enabling) [customer gain] unlike [...]

🎯Type of value:

Functional - Save time/money/effort

Personal - Feel better/ Feel safe

Social - Look good/professional

Entertainment - Smile/Amaze/Fun

✅ Tip: If your statement can’t finish the sentence “Customers pay us because…” — it’s still too vague.

Most people fill this box with vague words like “support” or “community.” That’s not enough.

This block should define how you build trust, maintain engagement, and turn customers into promoters — and it must be designed intentionally, not assumed.

Here’s how to think about it step-by-step:

1 | Clarify the Purpose of the Relationship

Ask yourself:

✅ Tip: Every relationship type should increase the customer’s likelihood of success. If it doesn’t, it’s just noise.

2 | Choose the Relationship Type for Each Segment

Use these five classic relationship archetypes as a starting point — then adapt them to your context:

3 | Map the Relationship to the Customer Journey.

✅ Formula:

Relationship Journey = [Onboarding Experience] + [Retention Routine] + [Expansion Mechanism].

4| Design Moments That Feel Personal & Integrate Relationships Into Operations

Add emotional intention. Customers remember how you made them feel.

Summarize it in one powerful statement: We build [type] relationships with [segment] through [method], to [outcome].

Define the specific groups of customers you serve — and the difference between them.

Avoid generic audiences (“companies,” “SMBs”). Think in jobs, pains, and behaviours:

Use this structure:

👉 Segment = [Type of Customer] + [Core Pain] + [Decision Maker Role] + [Buying Trigger]

Example: “Marketing agencies (10–50 people) that lose time managing multiple clients and projects — Operations Director buys when workload spikes.”

💡 Tip: Focus on the one who signs the contract, not everyone who uses the tool.

Map how customers discover you, evaluate you, and stay with you. Think end-to-end.

Ask yourself:

Use the Customer Journey Formula:

👉 Awareness → Consideration → Purchase → Onboarding → Retention → Referral

Write the main channel(s) for each stage and note which one converts best.

✅ Tip: Double down on channels where trust > reach (referrals > ads).

List what you must do consistently to deliver your promise — not what you “could” do.

Ask yourself:

Use this formula:

👉 Key Activities = [Action] + [Purpose] + [Strategic Impact]

Example: “Design scalable onboarding templates → reduce customer time-to-value → increases retention.”

Then pair each activity with the resources that make it possible:

👉 Resource = [Type] + [Why It’s Critical]

Example: “Team of process designers → ensures every template drives real results.”

💡 Tip: Limit to 3–5 per category — otherwise, you’re listing your to-do list, not your model.

Think strategically: who makes you stronger, cheaper, or faster?

Ask:

Use this formula:

👉 Partner = [Entity] + [What They Provide] + [How It Strengthens Our Model]

Example: “Integration with Notion → adoption channel + credibility.”

✅ Tip: Great partnerships change your economics — if they don’t, they’re just suppliers.

Get brutally clear about where money comes from and where it goes.

Start with:

Then list your key costs — people, tech, marketing — and mark the ones that grow faster than revenue with ⚠️.

Ask: “If revenue doubled, which cost would choke us first?”

✅ Tip: A good model shows leverage — one side grows faster than the other.

Download your canvas and use this AI prompt to turn it into a 1-slide summary you can share with investors or teammates:

“Using this Business Model Canvas, create a clean presentation slide summarizing the 9 blocks, highlighting key insights, and suggesting one area to optimize for growth.”

Upload your deck and share it with your team to confirm accuracy.

✅ Tip: The moment you can explain your model clearly in 60 seconds — you own it.

Look at your completed canvas and ask:

Pick 1 to 3 actions — one to validate, one to improve, one to scale.

Add a new session, and write them as action = [What] + [Why] + [Deadline] and assign them.

✅ Tip: Strategy is iteration — clarity without movement means nothing.

Is this solving a problem?

What value does the new product offer its users? How can it benefit them? Why would they buy the product?

Define the value you provide:

A minimum viable product (MVP) is the version of a new product or experiment that allows a team to collect the minimum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort.

With any new business idea or new features, the product team will be making a lot of assumptions. However, there is no guarantee those assumptions are true, and when it comes to testing an MVP, we have to outline assumptions to the extent possible.

👀 What assumptions are you trying to test during this experiment or MVP? What are trying to learn?

👆Running hypothesis driven experiments using the MVP — image by x-staticmediagroup.

You must design the app/landing page or add in a way that is convenient for users.

Defining the user flow is necessary to determine the process stages. It is essential to explain the steps needed to reach the main objective.

To prioritize the MVP features, ask questions such as:

Use this matrix to prioritaze your ideas, features and assumptions.

Eric Ries first coined the term MVP as “that version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort.”

An MVP needs to function as an actual test of the validity of your idea, not just as a cheap version of your product.

You can’t just launch an MVP - you also have to gain data and insights in the process. Some key insights could be the following 👇👇

Would this change some of your priotities? Add your 'must-have' to the conclusion section and create a prototype, experiment or MVP. 🗼