MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT: Start small, start sucky

Mokgadi Rasekgala
Aug 27, 2017 · 2 min read

Start small or start sucky. Rescue yourself from “perfection paralysis”

“The minimum viable product is a version of a new product that allows you to start small and quicker. It is used to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort

It is a development technique in which a new product or website is developed with just enough features to satisfy the early customers. The main aim of the product is not only to get the wheel moving, but to be able to get valuable input on which features should be expanded on rather than building a whole artefact only to realise customers do not find real value in it. The final, complete set of features is only designed and developed after considering the feedback from the product’s initial users. This is the shorter and smarter route to take from having an idea to a finalised product.

To use this method, you need to remove the idea that a product must wait for perfection before being taken to market. No product is ever finished and this mentality also keeps a lot of products from reaching market or has a development team working on features that may have no real value to the actual customer. Perfection in reality does not exist, even a product which you find to be great now will most probably be updated in future if it is to stay relevant. Rather than spend years on development get the work out in tiny batches of improvement taking in the input received after every release.

This is the method I take in creating the Wheel A Trend reseller e-commerce.

Wheel A Trend Reseller Platform

The platform will initially have 3 users

  1. Wheel A Trend (create their wholesale store)
  2. Shop owner (creates store from the wheel A Trend wholesale store either to sell wholesale or as a drop shipper)
  3. The Buyer (Is a buyer for a specific store, can buy products from any shop owner)

The platform gives a space for entrepreneurs to host their stores and manage their inventory for customers to buy. Wheel A Trend offers wholesaler and drop shipping option to sellers. The platform will allow a shop owner to load products from their wholesale site to their own shop to resell.

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Mokgadi Rasekgala

Written by

Fighting mediocrity one thread at a time. python and javascript developer. Interested in e-commerce, branding and software dev, i do a bit of sewing for fun

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