What Is a Minimum Lovable Product?

A Minimum Lovable Product (also known as Minimum Loveable Product) goes beyond asking ‘how do we fix customer’s problems?’ by also asking ‘how do we delight them along the way?’.\

In product development, it’s important to take the time to conduct the proper research to adequately fill the needs of the user. When building an MLP, that research includes finding out what they love. This could be a pleasing design aesthetic, an innovative user on-boarding experience, or integration with other tools.

It’s all well and good making something beautiful, but it still has to solve the problem. 

Just as with all products, you need to be building something with purpose.

It takes everyone on the development team to make a product lovable, and you need to weave that love into every aspect of your product. As a Product Manager, it’s your responsibility to align your teams to one common goal. User experience, sales, marketing, design, tech…they all have to be geared towards making something that your users will love. You’ll have to use the power of influence without authority here, but it’ll really pay off in the long run.

Don’t forget about the M in MLP. While you’re focusing on delighting your users, remember that the goal is still to be agile. Choose the minimum set of features needed to solve your user’s problems, and make them as delightful as possible.

Don’t assume that building something lovable means handing users everything they could possibly want. Not only will that waste your valuable time, but it’ll be more painful to iterate in the future.

Talk to your early adopters, and find out more than just how the product performed. Find out how the product made them feel. In user surveys, offer open-ended questions which allow users to express themselves, rather than just simple yes/no answers or tick boxes.

You should also be aware of who you’re testing with. Make sure your MLP lands in the hands of your target audience, and not just other tech people. They won’t be dazzled by the same features/designs as the average consumer.

Your MLP is not the final form of your product. Much like an MVP, it’s a valuable learning tool which will help you to discover what your users want. 

Once you’ve gathered your qualitative and quantitative feedback, start planning the next step for your product.