​IB Founder-First Series #3: The Art of the MVP

​Founder-First is our series for early-stage founders. Last session was on validating demand before you spend a dollar. This one picks up right where that left off.

​📅 Tuesday, August 4, 2026

​You have an idea you believe in. So what do you actually build first?

​Most of us overbuild. We spend three months on features nobody asked for because it feels safer than putting something rough in front of a real person. But an MVP was never supposed to be a smaller version of your product. It is the fastest thing you can ship that tells you whether to keep going.

​For this one we are sitting down with a founder who has been through it. Not a framework talk. A real conversation about what they cut, what they faked, what they got wrong the first time, and how they knew when the thing had actually answered the question they built it to answer.

​We are leaving plenty of room for your questions. Come with whatever you are stuck on right now, even if it is messy. Especially if it is messy.

​💡 What You’ll Learn

• ​The MVP Strategy:

  • ​Scope Optimization: Identifying and building the single most valuable feature first.

  • ​Demand Capture: Setting up rapid validation loops to find early adopters.

  • ​Behavioral Data: Reading what users actually do with an MVP to guide the next sprint.

  • ​Capital Preservation: Directing funding toward proven user needs rather than assumptions.

​👥 Who Should Attend?

• ​Early-stage founders, anyone sitting on an idea they have not started yet, and anyone about to spend real money or real months on a build.

​🍕 Food and drinks will be provided.

​Hosted by Innovate Bay.