MVLP is a real mouthful when read out loud as “Minimum Viable Lovable Product” — and it’s awfully hard to remember a 4-letter acronym that doesn’t spell out a word.
Humans don’t have viable experiences without love, and humans can’t really love an experience that is prone to failure.
My friend Maria Giudice has a better formulation that involves an emoji:
“MVP → M❤️E (Minimum Lovable Experience) = Easy to use, Meets value prop, and Well crafted.”
—Maria Giudice
Cat Noone wrote one of the earliest pieces out there on this topic, and how we need to create ‘minimum lovable products’ in startups.
Currently, MVP is the almighty title for the first shipment of a product. And viable means capable, which is great word when it comes to a product! Capable is always a good thing.
—Cat Noone
But now that you see the definition, does it really sound that great when you put it next to “Minimum”. The lowest form that is capable of potentially succeeding — because remember, capable is not guaranteed. Friends, viable is “good enough” and “good enough” should never be what you strive for.
Around the same time Laurence McCahill had a strong emoji game as well with M❤️E and a post on the topic which has the best SEO right now:
MVP
The version of a new product that brings back the maximum amount of validated learning about your customers with the least effort.MLP
—Laurence McCahill
The version of a new product that brings back the maximum amount of love from your early tribe members with the least effort.
Why do I prefer MVLP? I dunno. I guess I’m a believer in the V(iable) and also a believer in the L(ovable) and think you need both of those properties tightly interwoven. Humans don’t have viable experiences without love, and humans can’t really love an experience that is prone to failure. —JM
