Why Most MVPs Fail to Stick — And the Recipe for One That Will

Shipping fast is smart. Shipping forgettable is fatal.

I've seen it happen over and over: founders launch fast, get a wave of sign-ups and promising traction. But by week five, daily active users crash.

Why? They built something people would try once, not something they'd need twice.

That's the problem with most MVPs: they're like free samples at a grocery store. Quick to hand out, quick to forget. The taste doesn't linger, so people don't come back for the full meal.

The hidden reason MVPs fall flat

The MVP idea itself isn't broken. It's how people approach it. Too often, MVP is treated as "something out the door fast" instead of "the fastest way to prove real value."

What I see most often:

The result? A product that's technically "out" but doesn't give users a reason to return. It's like serving a plate that looks great for Instagram but tastes bland when you take a bite.

When too much or too little sinks you

One trap is building too much, too soon.

Slack's story is a useful reminder. Slack didn't launch as a giant feature bundle. It began as an internal chat tool for Stewart Butterfield's gaming startup, Tiny Speck. The team used it daily, found value in just a few focused features (messaging, search, and file sharing), and only then turned it outward as a product.

Dropbox took an even leaner route. Instead of launching a clunky prototype, founder Drew Houston made a simple video showing how seamless file syncing could work. That explainer video sent their beta waitlist from ~5,000 to 75,000 almost overnight.

Lesson: MVPs don't win because they look polished or overstuffed with features. They win when they prove one painful problem is worth solving — and get people to lean in before you've even scaled.

Y Combinator's advice echoes this: "Launch with something so simple it feels almost embarrassing. If you're not embarrassed, you probably shipped too late."

Value: how to know If you've really got it

Value isn't a vibe, it's measurable. Before you celebrate your MVP, check against this quick scorecard:

If you can't point to one strong metric that proves value, you don't have product–market fit.

The best signal of all? Try to sell it

This might sound surprising, but as a PM, the place I've learned the most about value isn't in discovery interviews. It's on sales calls.

Why? Because nothing cuts through nice words like the moment you ask someone to commit.

Here's the truth: people lie to themselves (and to you) about what they'll use. Ask them how they shop for jeans, they'll say "I look for good value." But check their closet — they bought the expensive pair because the shop was close by — it was convenient. Same with products: people say they want cheaper/faster/cleaner… but what they buy might end up following a different criteria.

That's why selling — even with a fake door or scrappy demo — is the fastest way to know if you're solving a real problem with a real solution.

User research is good. Retention data is better. But the strongest signal is always the same: will someone put money or time on the line?

Look for signs like:

If people just say it's "interesting," you're not there yet. Keep testing.

How to do it fast:

Tip: Lead with the pain, not the features. Example: "Struggling to keep your freelance clients organized? Get early access to our AI client tracker."

When shaky MVPs get rescued

Superhuman is the standout example.

In their early days, retention was shaky. Instead of rebuilding, they ran a simple test: ask users "How disappointed would you be if Superhuman went away?"

They doubled down on the workflows that "very disappointed" users loved, and cut everything else. Within weeks, retention and referrals spiked.

Lesson: Don't throw your MVP away too soon. Sometimes the gold is already there — you just need to find the hook and make it shine.

Why Founders Ship the Wrong MVP

When I've talked to founders and PMs, the root causes are usually:

Here's the real kicker: If you burn your first audience with a weak bite, you might not get a second chance.

Quick recipes for stickier MVPs

If most MVPs flop because they launch fast but don't prove value, here are a few simple "recipes" to flip the odds:

1. The concierge MVP

Do the work manually before building automation. Deliver the value yourself.

2. The one-feature app

Strip everything down to one painful problem solved beautifully (like Calendly's scheduling link or Dropbox's original sync).

3. The landing page test

Build a simple page describing the value, with a sign-up or pre-order button.

4. The Wizard of Oz MVP

Make the product look automated, but do the heavy lifting manually in the background. Probably less relevant today in the era of AI for digital products.

5. The hook audit

After launch, identify the one feature where 80% of activity happens. Kill distractions, double down there.

From recipes to principles — what to build instead

Running these experiments helps you spot signals of value. But recipes are just tactics. The real question is: what kind of MVP are you trying to cook up?

That's where the idea of the Minimum Lovable Product (MLP) comes in. Not just "viable," but valuable and sticky enough to earn a permanent spot in someone's day.

Practical shifts:

The takeaway bite

So before your next launch, ask yourself:

If you can't answer yes, you're risking too much.

Shipping fast is smart. Shipping forgettable is fatal.

Your MVP doesn't need to do everything. It just needs to deliver one small, perfect bite that keeps people hungry for more.