Test Your MVP, seriously!

Recently metalabs both flow after the formal release of a team-oriented new product Peak, looking very attractive, so ready to play to see. However, when I entered the registration page, I hesitated, the relatively lengthy information filled out, but also asked for credit card information, and then go back to see the pricing scheme, must pay the annual fee, think for a while, and finally played back. We do the product will have a consensus, as far as possible to reduce the user's entry threshold, reduce the registration path, so that users can quickly understand the characteristics of the product. And here Peak is the opposite, I believe as I do because hesitate to finally give up the visit will be a few. But when you think about it, it's a good way to validate the MVP!

The core of lean entrepreneurship is to make the smallest possible product (MVP) at the lowest cost and to verify the rapid iterations. The hard thing about this is how to be the "least viable" product, even though the answers may be different in everyone's mind, so the end can only be spoken by the user. Peak and I now in the same windmill, all belong to Enterprise Services, so the best way to verify the user with real money to actually support you, become a customer. Only in this way can we know whether the solutions we provide are of sufficient value in the right way. Foreign enterprise services are often used in a similar way when the product is launched, such as 14-day free trial, credit card access, annual fee payment, even prepaid, and so on. I like this way, business society from the first day, its Essence and foundation is based on value exchange, you give me value, I pay you money, it is so simple. So, from the very beginning, the MVP verification method that started with the customer as the target was very correct to me, back to the domestic, do not know from when, get the world of cock silk is very good, most entrepreneurs like horse rodeo, first circle the user, and then think of one day there will be a chance to shear wool. Unfortunately, however, the vast majority of entrepreneurial teams are not going to make it to that day.

Geoffrey Moore, in his classic "crossing the Chasm", puts forward the life-cycle laws of technology products, and there is a very difficult gap between angel users and the early masses of users. In combination with the idea of lean entrepreneurship, the MVP iteration is designed to go as far as possible, and it can be said that the MVP is for the Angel users, to verify the idea of revising the iteration in order to finally improve to the early masses of the real product. So be sure to treat the MVP very seriously, and the key is to get enough feedback from the user. However, since we need users, need feedback, that is not Kaniko, in a free way, with enough eyeballs and yell on it? Unfortunately, most of the cases are not. A large number of free users also means a lot of noise, and you have to find the real advice, find the point where the real user is willing to pay and the user doesn't care. Back to value exchange, the reason why users are willing to pay customers is because of the value of your product, the sooner you know the value and the more targeted to enlarge the value will help you across the gap. Think of the following scenes, do you feel familiar?

A user tells you: "Your product is very good, I have seen the best." "
A user told you: "I have always wanted to do such a tool, and now you do it, great." "
A user tells you: "The first use of the feeling is very comfortable, the experience is very good, very suitable for us." "

Wait, this is what I heard from some users when I was doing the windmill, but unfortunately, say like and spend money to buy is two days of different behavior, a lot of such friendly users to the end is not a customer, you can only let you in that instant self satisfaction. To make things worse, some users may also give you some confusing ideas, such as if there are any features that are better. If you have studied the user well, you will find a very interesting thing, that is, users and customers on the application of the improvement of the views will be very different. So, the best way to validate the MVP is not to see if there is a large enough number of users, but how many users really need your product and pay for it. A product that starts with paying customers will give you a better idea of what your product is worth to others, even if no one is willing to pay. So, like Peak, in the beginning of the product launch, the threshold to increase entry, so that the real Peak to provide a solution interested in the potential customers come in, it seems to me is a very correct and worth learning way.

I don't know why, every time I talk to some people about the windmill is a charge, the whole atmosphere will suddenly become embarrassed, as if the charges are very shameful behavior yes. Especially like the open source of technical staff, will feel that talk about money more hurt feelings, as long as you can do a person like to use the product, and do not care whether can earn money. Unfortunately, business is cruel, there is nothing to care about, but I think that free is the most lazy and the most cowardly approach. "Stop talking, Take my money" is a lot of products people dream of things to encounter, but many times hiding, finally in order to how to make money from the free users to do everything possible, even directly to sell users, contrary to the original intention to do the product. So, if you do the product is a product to provide value for others, such as Enterprise tools, please be assured bold, from the first day, carefully consider whether free. If you do not even dare to charge, why do I believe that you do not play to see the trend is not to run the attitude, then time than money for me is a greater loss. The free model has many advantages, but starting with the charge will give you a better understanding of your customers, a better understanding of your products, you can fully adjust the business model at a later stage, to provide other options, such as free value-added, but based on the real enough to understand why users pay for why.

Another benefit of charging is that your support costs will be much lower in the early stages, especially in an environment where resources are scarce. The ability to provide good user support is generally the advantage that a start-up company can offer compared to a larger company, so we can not say to a user, because you do not pay we do not provide services or a level of service, everyone who is willing to spend time to make comments should be our thanks, no matter how picky. So, the difference in the business model at this time can help you save a lot of energy and let you serve the customers you prefer to serve.

All MVP validation behavior is market behavior, relying on a large number of assumptions and validation. You can get real feedback by analyzing the facts behind the data, referring to "entrepreneurship growth, starting with analysis," or by interacting with users or interviewing people. So please be sure to find the right crowd based on your MVP, serious, and test the value of the solutions offered. If you recognize a product to bring you the value of the benefit far more than you pay, also please consider whether to buy and use, this is not only support, but also win, but the whole ecological circle of improvement.