Over the last 2 years, I’ve coached 15+ student teams across semesters, helping them move from abstract ideas to working MVPs. What I’ve continued to realize and assert is this: building a product is not just about creating something new. It’s about thinking deeply, validating rigorously, and executing with discipline.
Here are 12 principles I consistently reinforce though there are many more:
1. Start with the Problem, Not the Product
If the problem is weak, the MVP will be irrelevant. Obsess over clarity of the user pain before writing a single feature. A strong problem statement is half the product built.
2. Audit What Already Exists
Before building anything, study the current landscape.
What solutions already exist?
What are users using today (even if it’s Excel, WhatsApp, or manual workarounds)?
Understand the baseline before attempting to disrupt or improve it.
3. Research Deeply — Primary & Secondary
Primary research: Talk to real users. Observe behavior. Run interviews and surveys.
Secondary research: Competitive analysis, industry reports, market data, academic insights.
Assumptions are opinions. Research converts opinions into direction.
4. Define the User Clearly
“Everyone” is not a user. Narrow the persona. Define their context, constraints, motivations, and triggers. Depth beats width at the MVP stage.
5. Validate Before You Build
Test hypotheses before writing code. Landing pages, concierge models, and mock demos evidence first, features later.
6. Scope Ruthlessly for MVP
MVP is not a smaller version of the final product.
It is the smallest version that proves value.
Remove anything that doesn’t validate the core hypothesis.
7. Append and Articulate Don’t Just Add
When improving an existing system, ask:
Are we appending meaningfully?
Are we re-articulating the value proposition clearly?
Or are we just adding features without clarity?
Intentional evolution beats random enhancement.
8. Translate Vision into Measurable Outcomes
What will change for the user after using this product?
Define success metrics early adoption, engagement, retention, time saved, revenue impact.
If it cannot be measured, it cannot be improved.
9. Prioritize with Trade-offs, Not Emotion
Every feature added must justify what is being delayed or removed.
Product decisions are strategic trade-offs, not wish lists.
10. Prototype Early, Fail Early
Wireframes and clickable demos reduce waste and sharpen thinking.
11. Storytelling is a Product Skill
Teams must articulate: Problem → Insight → Solution → Impact. If you can’t explain it clearly, you haven’t understood it fully.
12. Execution Rhythm & Reflection
Weekly checkpoints. Clear ownership. Visible progress.
And after delivery, reflect.What worked? What didn’t? What would you do differently?
Product maturity comes from iteration.
And finally something I tell every team:
Knowing is not doing. Doing is doing. But doing consistently and learning from it is what leads to achievement.
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