It Is Time for the Minimum Lovable Product

Would you ever eat a can of cat food? Under the right conditions, perhaps. On a dare or if you were hungry enough with nothing else to reach for. But cat food is created with felines in mind. For most humans, it would undoubtedly be edible, but nauseating. And you would probably not be inspired to crack open another can anytime soon.

This is how I have always thought about the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) — highly unsatisfying and unlikely to earn loyalty from humans. And it is exactly how...