I am too afraid to send out my MVP prototype
I am too afraid to send out my MVP prototype
I am currently designing an app and I want to get feedback. I don't know know what you think about that but I think a good idea is to send the Invision, Marvel, etc. - prototype to friends and family and let them test it out.
In order to get more and better feedback I also have to ask other people. This is where my fear comes in. How do you think about sending "strangers" your fully functional prototype? Somehow I think, someone would take it and just get it done on fiver or whatever.
Please tell me what you think about that.
Thanks!
3 things:
If this is something you've never done before it's a good chance to just see what happens when you do something you've never done before, that in itself is progress, and it's fun!
For example, I've never live streamed before, I'm a little nervous about it, but I plan on doing it just to see what happens, and I don't care about the results so much.
Switch from (my whole product depends on this mode) to (I'm blasting through, regardless of if I get feedback or not mode).
You want feedback, but it is just 1 part of your execution. If you don't get any you will keep going. More effective mindset.
Define a process and detach results from your actions.
Instead of "I have to get feedback from X people" change your success metric to "When I finish a prototype, I send this to X people".
That way you don't have to think about it, you just do it because it's part of your "process".
It doesn't matter if no one responds, what matters is that you took action, and then you can evaluate and improve your process later/as you go.
It doesn't have to be a huge amount of painful action either, just a small amount that you do consistently is better than a huge amount you only do once.
Hope this helps!
+1 to @gkiely. I've recently been struggling with this as well even though I know better. Feeling this way is part of being human.
In addition, I've noticed that after doing a couple customer discovery interviews with my prototypes it feels a bit more natural as I embrace "the process" and know that it's just one step among many.
I think that people who are worth selling to are also people who have been sold to before. Plus, if your mission is to provide a product that creates real value for someone else, by not trying hard to find that person is a disservice to them. Your customers will thank you for finding them and then you'll know you have something special.
Ideas are cheap.
Execution is everything.
And the ability, insight, spare time, capital, experience, willingness and drive to execute are not nearly as common as many creators believe (or fear).
But it's better to take the negative view: If your idea is really good, you will have copycats. Accept that and move forwards anwyay. Move faster. Execute better.
Don't hide. Hiding doesn't work. The more visible a product, the more users you will have. The better your feedback, and ultimately the better your product.
Also -- remember the hard truth that nobody loves your idea as much as you do. Showing it to others can be a useful, and sometimes painful reminder of that.
Thank you so much! Now that you say it, it absolutely makes sense.
The only thing to fear is fear itself.
Don't fear people stealing your idea, they will never understand the idea how you do.
Don't be!
I think what everyone has said so far is good, I'd like to add this tip about getting feedback from people.
If you’ve created something that will delight and astound 10% of the marketplace, there’s a 90% chance that the first person who encounters your work will dislike it. He might even hate it. https://seths.blog/2019/02/the-trap-of-early-feedback/
If you aren't getting feedback from people that aren't the target users, then you aren't getting real feedback. Feedback from friends and family almost never has any meaningful impact on any project, unless they're the target market.
I would reccomend using these tools to think about the dilemma you are facing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis
http://communicatingexcellence.com/cartesian-questions/
What @Bangkokian says. IHers are great at giving feedback, if you are concerned about putting it here pubicly, one option may be to ask if anyone can review the idea privately.
This comment was deleted 7 years ago