Quality and Design in an MVP are Defined by the Customer

In a startup, the traditional notions of quality and design do not always apply. The principle to follow is: If we do not know who the customer is, we do not know what quality is.

Many entrepreneurs are perfectionists. They want to build a high-quality product that is well-designed and bug-free. However, this can be a trap. If you spend too much time on quality and design, you may end up building a product that nobody wants.

The goal of a Minimum Viable Product is to learn, not to build a perfect product. This means that you may have to compromise on quality and design in the short term.

This does not mean that you should build a sloppy or undisciplined product. It means that you should focus on the features that are most important to your early adopters. These are the features that will help you to learn the most about your customers.

As you learn more about your customers, you can then start to improve the quality and design of your product. But in the early days, it is more important to learn than it is to be perfect.