Nadia Boutaoui of NanoNares likes to zag while everyone else zigs. Starting with a Minimal Viable Product (“MVP”) is the conventional wisdom in the startup world. An MVP is a launch version of a product with the elementary set of features to learn about customer needs and gain customers with the least effort. Nadia advocates starting with a “problem first design thinking” approach before working on your MVP. 

She argues you spend more time defining the problem statement by talking to stakeholders that make up the market ecosystem, including buyers, influencers, gatekeepers, and saboteurs. This allows you to contextualize the problem, evaluate the need for your solution, and justify the need to solve the problem before you develop an MVP. Nadia observes that design-driven companies have outperformed the S&P Index by 219% over ten years. She provides a 4 step process to implement a design first approach. Listen to the end, where Nadia offers a special gift to our listeners.

Show highlights

03:44  Improve your MVP by starting with a problem first design thinking approach.

05:11  Use observations on how the customers experience the problem to inform building your MVP.

07:40  Complexities in large ecosystems where your solution fits drives the need for observation before MVP.

11:14  Starting with a problem first design approach can reduce the risk of your MVP and shorten your time to market.

13:07  The benefits from adopting a problem first design approach in advance of your MVP.

15:34  What you need to do to implement a problem first design approach.

18:55   Learn about Nadia.  Email Nadia at nadia.boutaoui@nanonares.org.

Connect with Jay

Email Jay at jay.kingley@centricityb2b.com

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