PLEASE - don’t go straight to the MVP

Quick heads up: You don't always need a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to suss out if there's a viable market out there.

Going all-out on an MVP from the start is a big ask — it's hefty on the time and resources front. And to be honest, it's not the only path to figuring out if your concept will fly.

Rushing into an MVP? You could be locking in resources on something that may need a pivot—or a full stop. And there's the hitch: Once you've poured effort into an MVP, it's tough to just walk away, thanks to the Sunk Cost Fallacy.

Here's an alternative strategy.

Instead of fully diving into an MVP, why not experiment with a pretotype?

This lean approach allows you to test the appeal and function of your idea without the heavy lifting of a full build.

Pretotyping means testing smart, not hard. It saves you precious time, conserves your resources, and keeps you agile for quick adjustments.

The diagram shows the full spectrum: from a hunch to a fully implemented solution. Pretotyping is that critical early step, where investment is low but the learning is high—perfect for those initial 'what if' moments.

I'm a big fan of helping people use this approach to make the journey from high level concept to user-ready product or feature become much smoother.