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From MVP to MLP: Designing for Delight, Not Just Function
Why startups must move beyond “just working” to products people love
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The startup playbook has long celebrated the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) — the simplest version of your product that solves a problem and can be tested in the market. It’s lean, pragmatic, and efficient. But here’s the thing: in today’s crowded ecosystem, viable isn’t enough.
Your product can work, but if it doesn’t inspire delight, it risks being ignored. That’s where the Minimum Lovable Product (MLP) comes in — a shift from building for function to building for emotion.
The MVP gets you into the game. The MLP makes sure people want you to stay.
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The Limitations of MVP Thinking
The MVP mindset is about speed and validation. Build quickly, ship fast, and learn. It’s invaluable for testing assumptions. But it has limits:
It risks mediocrity. A barebones product may validate functionality but fail to excite users.
It misses emotional hooks. Humans don’t just adopt products because they “work.” They adopt them because they feel something.
It can backfire in competitive markets. If your MVP underwhelms, early users may dismiss your product before it evolves.
In short, viability gets attention, but lovability keeps it.
MVP vs. MLP at a Glance
Aspect | MVP (Minimum Viable Product) | MLP (Minimum Lovable Product) |
|---|---|---|
Goal | Validate the idea and problem-solution fit | Inspire loyalty and delight while solving the problem |
Focus | Functionality: does it work? | Emotion + Function: does it make people care? |
Design | Barebones, utilitarian | Intuitive, polished in at least one area |
User Feedback | “Does it work at all?” | “Would you miss it if it disappeared?” |
Growth Driver | Data and iteration | Advocacy and word of mouth |
Risk | Being ignored or dismissed | Higher upfront investment, but stronger stickiness |
What Makes a Product “Lovable”?
Lovability doesn’t mean perfection. It means there’s something in your product that sparks joy, loyalty, or advocacy even if other parts are still rough.
Some markers of an MLP:
Delightful design: Clean, intuitive interfaces that make using the product feel natural.
Emotional resonance: Features or touches that surprise, entertain, or empathize with users.
Community connection: Tools that make people feel part of something bigger.
Moments of magic: Small details — like Slack’s witty loading messages or Duolingo’s encouraging notifications — that make the experience memorable.
The core question: Would users be disappointed if your product disappeared tomorrow? If the answer is yes, you’ve reached lovability.
Real-World Examples of MLPs
Slack: At launch, plenty of chat apps existed. What made Slack lovable were touches of personality — emojis, playful copy, and a sense of community baked into the UX.
Notion: Beyond note-taking, Notion gave users the joy of building their own “workspace,” sparking a movement around customization and aesthetics.
Duolingo: Its gamified experience — streaks, leaderboards, Duo the owl — turned language learning into a daily habit people loved, not a chore.
Each began as an MVP but quickly layered delight into the core experience, transforming functional products into beloved platforms.
How to Evolve from MVP to MLP
Listen to early users differently. Don’t just ask if the product works. Ask: What do you love? What frustrates you? Would you miss it?
Design for emotion, not just logic. Map not only user journeys but emotional journeys. Where can you inject surprise, joy, or ease?
Polish one moment of magic. Instead of trying to delight everywhere, focus on one memorable detail that creates attachment.
Invest in brand voice. Personality builds connection. Even microcopy can make a big difference in how users feel.
Build community early. Create forums, Slack groups, or social conversations around your product. People fall in love with communities as much as features.
Why MLP Matters for Startups
Startups don’t have the marketing budgets of incumbents. What they do have is the ability to win loyalty through product love. A product people love doesn’t just grow — it grows organically, through word of mouth, advocacy, and community.
MLPs turn users into evangelists. That’s marketing you can’t buy, but you can design for.
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To Conclude…
The MVP will always be the starting point. It ensures you’re solving the right problem. But the MLP is what ensures people care.
In a world where every product is fighting for attention, the ones that win won’t just work — they’ll delight. As you design your next product, don’t stop at viability. Ask: What will make someone smile, share, and stay? That’s your MLP.
At Startup Stoic, we believe the future belongs to startups that build not just for function, but for love.
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Until tomorrow,
— Team Startup Stoic