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SAAS TOOLS
| SaaS | URL | Category | Features/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dropbox | Not provided | Cloud Storage | Used as example: Created demo video instead of building full product for initial validation |
| Typeform | Not provided | Survey Tool | Suggested for structured surveys in discovery phase |
| Lookback | Not provided | UX Research | Suggested for live user experience testing |
| Pulse for Reddit | Not provided | Social Listening | Suggested to surface unfiltered complaints |
USER NEEDS
Pain Points:
- Users bounce from incomplete MVPs that don't solve their core problem
- Founders misinterpret 'viable' in MVP as 'barely functional' instead of 'complete value'
- Lack of meaningful user feedback due to poor user retention
- Technical debt accumulation from rushed MVPs
- Competitors with more complete solutions gain market share
Problems to Solve:
- How to define a truly viable MVP that delivers complete value
- How to validate product ideas before full development
- How to gather quality user feedback for iteration
- How to balance speed with product completeness
- How to identify core features that are deal-breakers
Potential Solutions:
- Conduct thorough customer discovery through interviews (5-6 users recommended)
- Build prototypes for validation before MVP development
- Focus on solving one painful job completely rather than multiple partially
- Adopt 'Simple, Lovable, Complete' (SLC) approach instead of traditional MVP
- Use non-code MVPs like demo videos (Dropbox example) or landing pages
- Implement concierge testing to identify core automation needs
GROWTH FACTORS
Effective Strategies:
- Prioritize delivering complete value in initial product over speed to market
- Build engaged user base through problem-solving products rather than chasing vanity metrics
- Focus on narrow but complete feature scope for initial launch
Marketing & Acquisition:
- Use waitlists and demo videos for pre-launch validation (Dropbox model)
- Target early adopters through problem-focused interviews
- Leverage landing pages to gather interest before product completion
Monetization & Product:
- Ensure MVP is actually sellable/solves pain point sufficiently for users to pay
- Avoid feature bloat by using MoSCoW method (Must-have/Should-have/Could-have/Won't-have)
- Price based on delivered value rather than development cost
- Technical foundation quality affects long-term scalability and iteration speed
User Engagement:
- Build products users want to keep using to enable quality feedback loops
- Use live UX testing tools (e.g. Lookback) during development
- Create community through transparent development processes
- Instrument products to track user activation rates (>50% after two sessions suggested as benchmark)