#27 - Starting with the Minimum

By Armaan Athwal

Today's Overview:

• Testing the waters with the minimum viable product approach

• Turn starting into momentum in any part of your life

• Quote of the day

Testing the Waters

I recently came across an intriguing concept that I read about from Kieran Drew called the Minimum Viable Momentum approach. This method emphasizes starting with small, manageable steps and gradually building upon them to realize the larger vision.

This idea was originally described by Eric Ries, who introduced the concept of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in his book "The Lean Startup" as part of his startup methodology. Ries explains that the purpose of an MVP is to create a version of a new product that allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least amount of effort.

This approach is not intended to generate immediate revenue. Instead, it is designed to help understand how to develop a sustainable process. The goal is to learn as much as possible about customer needs and behaviors with minimal investment, allowing for informed decision-making and strategic adjustments.

This allows companies to develop a product and test the waters of the market without dedicating all their time, money, and resources to something that is not guaranteed to be successful.

For example, Amazon used the MVP approach as the journey began with Jeff Bezos who launched an online bookstore in 1994, which revolutionized the way books were bought and sold. Starting with a basic website offering a selection of books, Amazon tested the waters to validate the concept of online shopping for books instead of traditional stores. This MVP approach allowed Amazon to gauge market demand and customer behavior, laying the foundation for its future growth.

Start → Momentum

The Minimum Viable Momentum approach is more of a general concept that can be used in many different aspects of life. It places a strong emphasis on beginning small, building on early successes, and progressively growing to reach bigger objectives.

This concept is so important in anything you do because rarely does everything succeed perfectly on the first attempt, especially when attempting to execute a full-scale effort from the outset. Starting small and gradually building momentum allows for learning from initial experiences, adapting to challenges, and improving outcomes over time.

• When launching a business, wait to make major investments in a website, business cards, product inventory, and equipment until you have gotten some early feedback from customers on the core product itself. Prioritizing testing and user feedback to determine consumer interest and impression of the primary product is more significant than making large investments in additional features.

• If you try to write large sections of a book in a single session, it can be difficult. Rather, try setting a daily writing goal of no more than a few pages and get feedback as you go.

• Not sure how to start working out? Start by experimenting with just one new exercise during each workout session. One exercise at a time, gaining understanding of proper technique, and assessing how your body responds to different movements.

This approach prevents unnecessarily complicating the start of something new. Often, when we look at the overarching goal, it can feel overwhelming and stop us from beginning because of the pressure to get it right from the start.

When pursuing any goal, the initial focus should be on simply getting started rather than aiming for perfection. It's common to fixate on achieving perfection, but the true objective is to initiate the process. No matter how flawless a plan might seem, it serves no purpose if it remains untouched and gathers dust among unfinished tasks.

Instead, breaking down the goal into smaller, manageable tasks makes it less daunting. By focusing on one small aspect at a time, the endeavor becomes more achievable and allows for gradual progress toward the larger goal. This incremental approach not only reduces anxiety but also increases the likelihood of sustained momentum and eventual success.

Quote of the Day

“A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked. A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work. You have to start over, beginning with a working simple system.” - John Gall

You don't achieve the whole solution on the first attempt, start with the bare minimum that works.