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by mandeepj 2876 days ago
Good advice. I'm all for getting a quick MVP version out and then iterate.

But, I also think why Apple did not do it with iPhone? They could have just built a device with phone only capabilities. Leaving aside that, they rebuilt\redesigned a ready-to-market iPhone (first version)
3 comments
ddebernardy 2875 days ago
I'm not sure I agree with your terminology. Many engineers and startups confuse MVP (minimum viable product) with prototype or something to that effect. If a new product you've put out isn't viable, as in selling well enough that it sustains your business or will do so in the foreseeable future, it is - by definition - not an MVP; it's just a prototype.

iPhone was an MVP by any reasonable definition IMO. It was a 2G device and the build quality was meh if memory serves me well, it was slow, it lacked memory, the camera was trash, it didn't support 3rd party apps, it was expensive, it only worked on AT&T, etc. But it took off regardless because it was good enough.

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genbit 2876 days ago
Go to market strategy is different for established company like Apple and small startups. Apple can afford later entry into the market, can afford to acquire innovations, product teams and spend more time on research. Also if you fail - you standup and do it again, if company like Apple fails - stock goes down and many people can get hurt — different dynamics.
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marcus_holmes 2876 days ago
also, don't underestimate how much market research and focus group testing is involved. There's lots of customer feedback going on with "traditional" design, it's just done privately not publicly.

It's also not as good feedback - it's too easy to tell the focus group what to think. But done right, it can lead to the same place.

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perl4ever 2875 days ago
When the Motorola Rokr came out circa 2005, it was basically "just a phone" except for the iTunes features, and at the time, as far as I knew, it was "the" much anticipated Apple phone. Now, with hindsight, it's become obscure.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Rokr http://www.ubergizmo.com/2005/09/official-apple-motorola-and...

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