Most founders still start with an MVP because that\u2019s the advice the ecosystem repeats. Build something small, launch fast, learn. It made sense ten years ago. But today, MVPs rarely validate anything meaningful. Users expect value from day one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Viability is subjective<\/strong>. What\u2019s viable to you may feel unusable to your customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why we shifted early to the MSP approach at StartupGuru. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sellability is objective<\/strong>. What sells, sells, and there\u2019s no debate around it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This article breaks down why MSP is becoming the new starting point for serious founders, especially non-tech founders building digital or tech-led startups<\/a>, and how this one shift can change the trajectory of your entire journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Listen – if you talk to any early-stage founder today, chances are they\u2019re still following the decade-old advice of “build an MVP<\/a> and launch fast.” It became gospel because it worked in the early 2010s when users were forgiving and choices were limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But that world does not exist anymore. Things have changed in the last few years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. User behavior has changed, and so have the expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, MVPs rarely move the needle. Most users don\u2019t want minimum anything. They want something that genuinely solves their problem without making them work for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At StartupGuru we interact with early-stage founders on a daily basis. I hear this from founders all the time. One founder, based in London, who is working on a HealthTech product recently told me, “I built an MVP because everyone said that\u2019s how startups start. Users hated it. I thought the idea was bad, but later realized the version I built wasn\u2019t usable at all”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem isn\u2019t the founder. The problem is the strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MVP is too vague, too subjective. What feels viable to you may feel unusable to your customer.<\/p>Kunal Pandya – Chief Mentor at StartupGuru<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n This is exactly why we began moving away from the MVP mindset years ago. At StartupGuru, we introduced the MSP approach back in 2020, long before it became a buzzword.<\/strong> And we did it because we saw firsthand that what really validates a startup isn\u2019t viability. It\u2019s sellability. What sells, sells.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The concept of MVP<\/a> was popularized by Eric Ries in his book<\/a>, The Lean Startup<\/a>. The textbook definition says an MVP is the simplest version of the product that delivers core value. That sounds good on paper. And to be fair, it did push thousands of founders to launch instead of waiting for months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the way MVP is practiced today is far from what it was meant to be. Most MVPs end up being half-cooked demos that require users to imagine the value instead of experiencing it. And in a world with polished alternatives everywhere, nobody has the patience for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dropbox is often cited as the best MVP example, but let\u2019s be honest – Dropbox launched with a simple demo video in a world with no real competitors. Try doing that today, and users will say, “Show me the real thing, or I\u2019m leaving.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Founders follow MVP because it\u2019s familiar. It\u2019s taught everywhere. But familiar doesn\u2019t mean effective anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy “build an MVP” has stopped working for most founders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is an MVP anyway, and why founders still chase it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Common limitations and misconceptions of MVPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n