Acquiring users for your MVP when competing with legacy applications
You don’t need them all, you just need enough
When you develop digital tools in-house there is a good chance you’re working to replace an existing legacy application (or series of applications). If you follow a lean/agile approach, acquiring users for your new application can be challenging.
When you work this way, the first version of your product will be a minimum viable product (MVP). The goal of an MVP is to put just enough work out there to test your team’s hypotheses and gather feedback to inform later development.
By definition, this will not be a suitable replacement for existing systems out of the gate. Instead, it might replace some slice of work being done in those systems.
Convincing internal users to spend time using what they may view as half-baked software can be a challenge. While you might feel rushed to roll out your product to as many users as possible, you want to aim for quality over quantity at first.
Find early adopters in your company
The technology adoption curve is just as relevant for enterprise tools as it is for consumer-facing applications. Certain people (known as early adopters) in your organization will be more receptive to trying new tools and providing feedback.
The trick is identifying who those people are in your organization. Depending on your company’s size, this can be challenging. Look for teams or individuals among your potential users who have worked on technology initiatives in the past.
While not always a bulletproof method, their experience will help them more quickly grasp what you are trying to do. If their experiences have been positive they will require very little convincing of the benefits of having their feedback heard on the tools you are designing.
Turn your early adopters into partners
Once you’ve identified early adopters to start using your MVP, work to show them the benefits of working with you. These people are giving up their valuable time to use your tool and provide feedback and they should get something out of the relationship as well.
Be available
This first one is simple but powerful. Make yourself available to your early users, especially when you know they’re in your tool using it. Offer in-person check-ins, communicate via chat, or whatever ways make sense for your company.
Show how you are incorporating their feedback
Even when it seems obvious, make sure to communicate how your team is incorporating their feedback into your product. Prototyping their ideas, giving them insight into feedback from other users, and showing what stories are in development are all great ways to show how your team is actioning on their feedback.
By being an early adopter of your product, your users should see how the work they are doing with you is making a difference.
Be responsive to bugs
Often MVPs or immature products have bugs or sub-optimal interactions that need ironing out. User testing is one of the ways you address these issues, but it can often be frustrating for your users.
When your users encounter problems with your MVP, work with your team to understand and prioritize these issues to minimize their frustration and resolve problems as quickly as possible.
Show recognition
Lastly, give credit where credit is due. User feedback is the fuel that drives effective product development forward, so make sure to show your appreciation to your users. Whether it’s a hand-written thank you note, a gift card, or a shout out on LinkedIn, recognize your early adopters for the role they are playing in shaping the tools your team is building.
What tactics do you use to acquire early users and what are other challenges you or your team face when developing new applications?
