What I Learned Preparing a Lecture on MVPs
I got a call last week from Deborah, a lecturer at The University of Westminster.
She was preparing her second-year entrepreneurship students for their first real MVP (Minimum Viable Product) project, and she wanted me to come in and do a session on prototyping.
Simple enough, right? I've done this talk dozens of times.
But as we planned the session, she mentioned something that made me pause: "They keep asking why they should test their ideas. And honestly, I'm not sure how to answer that without confusing them more."
That's when it hit me.
These students weren't confused about prototyping. They were trying to do three completely different things at the same time.
And honestly? Most of us are doing exactly the same thing.
One Big Blob
Deborah's students are brilliant. They understand lean startup methodology. They've read the books.
But they're stuck on questions like:
"How much should I build before I test?"
"What if the feedback contradicts what I've already built?"
"When do I know if I should adjust or start over?"
Questions I’ve heard from founders of all ages.
Here's what I realised while sketching out the lecture: We're treating "product development" as one big blob of activity when it's actually three distinct skills that happen in sequence.
No wonder it feels overwhelming.
Three Skills Glued Together
When you're creating a product, you're actually doing three completely different things:
Build → Test → Adjust
Each one requires different thinking, happens at different times, and uses different parts of your brain.
Trying to do them simultaneously is like trying to cook dinner, set the table, and eat—all at the same time.
Technically possible. Definitely messy. And completely unnecessary.
Let me break down what I put together for the students (and what clicked for them immediately).