Yash Sharma

You can’t afford to treat your MVP like a proof of concept. And yet, far too many startups and even enterprises do. What was once a strategic, lean go-to-market weapon has become a misunderstood checkbox for “getting something out quickly.” That mindset often leads to expensive do-overs and lost investor confidence. Having led and consulted on over 100+ product builds—from monoliths on Visual Basic in the early 2000s to modern microservices laced with AI/ML—I’ve come to believe that a robust MVP doesn’t start with code. It starts with clarity. This checklist isn't theory. It’s a reflection of what separates the successful 8% of MVPs that raise Series A rounds within 18 months, from the 92% that either pivot, stall, or shut down. 1 Crystal-Clear Problem Statement Your MVP must solve a problem that’s painfully obvious to the user. If you can’t explain the core problem in one sentence without using industry jargon, stop here. ... Continue reading →