M is for Minimum, Not Monster - Building real MVPs
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MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product. Somehow, that “minimum” has a habit of disappearing.
One feature leads to another. Someone suggests a dashboard. Then notifications. Then an integration that would be “easy to add now”. Before long, the first version has turned into a Monster Viable Product that costs more, takes longer and still might not answer the most important questions.
M is for Minimum, Not Monster is a hands-on 2.5-hour workshop for individuals and teams who are thinking about building a product, getting ready to build, or already watching their MVP grow out of control.
Bring a product idea you’re working on. We’ll get everything out of your head and onto the table, then work backwards from what you actually need your first version to achieve.
You’ll look at who it’s for and what they need to be able to do, identify the assumptions you need to test, challenge what really needs to be built, and separate version one from all the things that can wait.
We’ll also look at where a prototype, smoke test or even a manual process could give you the answer you need without building the feature at all.
If you come as a team, you’ll work on your product together and use the exercises to get aligned on what actually matters. If you come on your own, you’ll work through exactly the same process on your own idea, with feedback and support along the way.
During the workshop, you’ll:
Get the whole product idea out of your head and see where the monster is growing
Get clear on what your first version actually needs to achieve
Sort what needs to be built now from what can wait
Identify things you could prototype or test instead of building
Map the core experience your MVP needs to deliver
Make some actual cuts, rather than creating another prioritised feature backlog
Decide your next move: BUILD / PROTOTYPE / TEST / TALK TO USERS
You’ll leave with a much smaller, clearer MVP scope, a record of what you’ve deliberately left out, and a practical plan for what to do next.
And because monsters have a habit of growing back, you’ll also take away the prompts and worksheets from the workshop so you can use the same process when the next “one little feature” inevitably appears.