Product Development Consulting

Why did Vanta launch with a spreadsheet, while Superhuman took years to build before shipping? Both were great startups. Both were building real products. But their launch strategies were completely different. And that difference wasn't random. I've been working on a framework that explains this: a 3×3 Product × Market Type grid. The two axes are simple: 1/ Product type: Is what you're building a Painkiller (urgent, burning need), a Vitamin (nice to have, habit-forming), or a Toothpick (not acute pain, but an irritating niggle you can't ignore)? 2/ Market type: Are you in a Blue Ocean (no real competition), Red Ocean (dominant incumbents), or Orange Ocean (no direct competitor, but indirect ones exist)? These two dimensions combine into 9 categories — and each one demands a different kind of launch product. The framework I find most useful here comes from product thinker Henrik Kniberg, who argued we should stop talking about MVPs and instead think in terms of three early products: - Earliest Testable Product: just enough to validate your hypothesis - Earliest Usable Product: enough to be useful to an underserved segment - Earliest Lovable Product: built to delight, engineer habit, and create love Where your startup sits on the 3×3 grid determines which of these three you need to launch with. I f you're a founder picking a problem to go after: the Painkiller × Blue Ocean cell is the rarest and most valuable of the nine. A hair-on-fire problem with no competition. Even a blanket works as a fire extinguisher. Vanta's first product was literally a detailed spreadsheet. Contrast that with a Vitamin in a Red Ocean — nice to have, in a crowded market. You'd need to go to market with a full-blown, delightful product just to get noticed. That's the hardest cell of all. And if you're building in a Red Ocean (like Linear going after Jira), you can't launch with a barebones product. You have to be at parity on the defaults and 10x better on at least one dimension. I've written the full essay with all 9 cells, real startup examples from India and globally, and a decision framework to help you figure out which cell your startup belongs in. Link in comments 👇

42% of startups fail because no one wants the product. A successful MVP removes all doubt. Here's how to build one: I've launched MVPs across 5 businesses in different niches,   And the hardest part is never the technical side. For me, it's always the discipline of leaving things out. The founder instinct will always tell you to add more, do more. But that's how you end up wasting 6 months on features no one needs. When Tom Blomfield, founder of Monzo, agreed to invest £100k in Lottie,  He gave us one condition: launch in 14 days. We basically had to strip everything back and ship.  And with sheer speed and effort, we did just that. The signals we got back were completely different from what we expected. He saved us months of wasted time with 1 deadline.  With Searchable, I was more prepared as a founder. When it came time to build our MVP, we asked one question:  What's the single thing we can build that proves this idea works? The answer was prompt tracking. We kept it insanely simple and opened our waitlist in December.  The feedback we got built the next version of the product. This is now the framework I use EVERY time: 1️⃣ Who is your MVP for? ↳ Define your ideal customer before you build anything. ↳ What single problem are you solving, and how does it provide immediate value? 2️⃣ Validate the problem first ↳ Would people actually pay for a solution to this? ↳ If nobody is eager, rethink before you write a line of code. 3️⃣ The Core MVP Rules ✅ Solve one specific problem in the simplest way possible. ✅ Be usable without extensive training. ✅ Provide immediate value. ✅ Be built in 4 to 8 weeks maximum. ❌ Don't build the full product vision from day one. ❌ Don't pack in features nobody asked for. 4️⃣ Get Your First Users ↳ Social media, early access deals, direct email outreach. ↳ Your first users are your best product team. Treat them that way. 5️⃣ The Feedback Loop ↳ Launch. Get feedback. Iterate. Relaunch. ↳ Remove what isn't working before you add anything new. 6️⃣ Signs Your MVP Is Ready to Scale: ✅ Strong retention and repeat users. ✅ Users asking for more features. ✅ Customers willing to pay without being pushed. If in doubt, aim to remove as many things as you can. The simplest version that delivers real value will always teach you more than the most complete version you could imagine. For more on building businesses the right way from day one... 📌 Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eUTCQTWb Save this post to come back to the framework. ♻️ Repost to help other founders avoid building what nobody asked for. Follow Chris Donnelly for more on building and scaling businesses.

🧵 The First Brick — Positioning in a Noisy World - Part 1 of 6 I’m writing this because building a digital-first brand from scratch is equal parts chaos, clarity, and course correction — and most of what gets shared online skips over the messy middle. At Koparo, we’re still in the thick of it. No glossy case study, no perfect arc — just hard-earned lessons from the last 4 years. This series is my attempt to document what we’ve learned while still learning. For anyone building something of their own — especially without legacy, or a 100-person team — I hope this makes you feel a little less alone, and a little more seen. If you're building a digital-first brand in 2025, here’s a hard truth: No one has time to decode your “mission.” You’re not fighting for attention — you're fighting for memory. And memory belongs to the brand that said something sharp, emotional, or refreshingly simple. When we started building Koparo, the cleaning space was cluttered with two extremes: 🧼 Legacy giants with strong efficacy but questionable safety 🌱 Green startups that were dosed with essential oils and bright colours constantly apologizing for being less effective We didn’t want to be a moodboard brand. But we also didn’t want to be another “99.9% germ kill” war cry. So we picked a wedge: Powerful cleaning, zero toxins. Clean homes. Safe homes. Period. That positioning became our product brief, our ad copy, even our pack design. A lot of early stage start ups spend quite a bit of time and energy (and of course resources) on ‘positioning’ - frameworks, purpose decks are to my mind quite irrelevant at this stage. 🚫 Consumers don’t read decks. They feel brands. 🚫 Your “why” doesn’t matter if your “what” isn’t instantly clear What worked for us in our infancy years at Koparo: Simple, sharp messaging: “Safe for kids, pets, planet.” That line has outsold every clever campaign. Packaging that screams category AND difference: In a category obsessed with colour codes, we dare to be transparent. Anchoring in a clear enemy (works for challengers): We consistently talk about what we don’t use and why — artificial colours, bleach, etc.  If you’re building today, forget being everything to everyone. Instead: ✅ Pick a hill worth dying on ✅ Say it clearly ✅ Say it often and do not use an agency on Day 1 PS: It’s interesting now to see some legacy players launch “Pure” or “Pro” versions of their own products. To us, that signals something: If your brand needs a new version to imply safety... maybe the core product was never built with that trust in the first place.

Most founders name products to sound smart. The better ones name products so the customer understands the value in 2 seconds. That is one of the most underrated product-positioning lessons I know. Some companies can spend millions teaching the market what their name means. Most founders cannot. So the name should explain the product. When we were building in the early days, the antivirus products in the market were mostly large MNC tools. They were slow. Scanning took a long time. Machines themselves were slow. And in many cases, the user would simply get told: quarantine the file and restore from backup. That was the “solution.” I felt that was incomplete. If the real customer pain is: “My system is infected, my work has stopped, and I need this fixed now,” then the product should do two things: 1. Be quick 2. Heal That is how the name came. I wanted the name itself to tell the user what the product does: it should clean the infection, and it should do it fast. That is positioning. Real positioning is not decoration. It is not a slogan. It is not a color palette. It is when the promise, the pain, and the product all line up so clearly that even the name starts selling for you. A lot of founders start from: “What sounds premium?” I think the better question is: “What will make the customer instantly say: yes, that is exactly what I need?” The strongest brands are often built that way. Not by sounding intelligent. By sounding useful. That lesson is still relevant in 2026. Because in crowded markets, clarity beats cleverness. Every single time. Quick Heal Seqrite #Startups #ProductStrategy #BrandPositioning #ProductManagement #Entrepreneurship #FounderLessons #StartupBuilding

Most MVPs die before a single user. I’ve helped launch 21 that are now real, thriving businesses. Here's the mindset behind their success: In the last 3 weeks, I spoke to 3 different startup founders who all think they need to launch their startup with everything: → 300 features. → Every possible use case. → Custom dashboards, polished UI, multi-role workflows In their heads, that’s what will impress investors and win early users… …but that's far from reality. Here's 3 things I needed them to understand (and why it matters more than ever): 1) Product goals ≠ business goals. You build a product to solve a problem. You build a business by proving that people care about that problem and believe YOU can solve it. Trying to hit both (proving that problem exists vs working on solving problem) with the same hammer will • burn cash • confuse the team • and delay launch Your product team might dream of full usability from day one. But your business needs something much simpler: → Signal from the market → Feedback from real users → Evidence that you're on the right track So, just answer 2 simple questions: Do people get it? And do they care enough to take action? Blurring product and business goals makes you overspend on something no one asked for. 2) MVP ≠ "Build the full app with less budget" This is the biggest mistake I see. Founders want to: • prove capability to investors • get early adopters excited • raise more money faster So they end up throwing half the feature backlog into 'MVP v1.' They think: “50% of the big vision is lean enough, right?” No. It’s still bloated, risky, and delays the feedback you actually need. A real MVP should do one thing: → Deliver the core value with as little as possible, just enough to spark belief. So, pick 3 features that show:  → how you think → what’s possible → why users should care If you’re building a 100-storey building, your MVP is the lobby – not floors 1 thru 20. Get people through the door. Let them feel the experience and show the promise. Then build the rest, floor by floor, based on what they tell you. 3) Focus on winning confidence instead of building perfection. At the MVP stage, you’re not delivering the promise. You’re showing evidence that the promise is possible. That means: → Showing progress to get users excited → Giving investors a reason to stay in the conversation → Making your vision feel real — without needing the whole thing built Perfection is a trap. Early confidence is currency. Don't confuse quality with completeness. If the product is too polished too early, it raises questions. Something clear, directional, and open to feedback invites conversation. — If you're building an MVP today: Show intent, evidence, and direction. The rest will take care of itself.

For the longest time, we all thought building the product was the hardest part, but that has changed significantly. With AI, products can be built, tested, and launched faster than ever before. Which means the real challenge now is no longer about can you build this? but about how do we get people to care about this? I've conducted many workshops with product builders - be it PMs, sales, engineers, and designers. When you ask who the product is truly for, what it meaningfully replaces, and why a customer would choose it over their current way of doing things, the answers are different. Sales will often describe competition based on recent deals. Product will frame it in terms of where the roadmap is headed. Marketing will respond to what the market appears to reward. And let's be honest, a user doesn't look at the product like that! So then, I ask this one question: If this product did not exist, what would the customer do instead? Would they rely on an existing tool? Would they create a workaround? Or would they continue with the status quo? Positioning, then, is not about describing the product in isolation. It is about defining it in direct relation to that default choice. It requires identifying the specific context in which the product creates a form of value that is immediately comprehensible to the customer it is intended for. And that specific context is especially helpful when the teams are building internally! Ofcourse, this narrows the scope more than teams are initially comfortable with, but it is precisely this specificity that creates clarity. Remember, it is not what you build that's the differentiator. It's how much clarity you have on it that separates you from the rest.

How do you outmanoeuvre the competition? Not by being “better” than them. But by being different them - and highly valuable to your audience. Hello from sunny Limassol, Cyprus 🇨🇾! I’m here consulting for a leadership team from a business operating in a crowded market. The challenge? How can we stand out - for the right reasons and to the right people? The answer: a bold brand strategy. One that is not simply about colours fonts and logos. But one which influences all Parts of the business to innovate and recalibrate to create unique value. I’ve been working with the leadership team of a B2B professional services company tackling the challenge of standing out in a highly saturated market. Scaling in such environments is never easy—but after two intense strategy days, the energy and clarity in the room have been incredible. On Day 2, we strategically repositioned the brand around a new, sharper direction. This included: • Prototyping ideas for an improved customer journey • Reimagining how they create and deliver value • Exploring a new pricing structure and onboarding process The breakthrough moment came when we clarified not only what they would start doing, but also what they would stop doing to focus on becoming the only choice for a specific audience. By the end of the session, we had: • Conceptual alignment on a focused new approach • A clear strategy to differentiate the brand in their market • A high-level action plan for the end of 2024 and the first half of 2025 The leadership team left energized and excited, with a renewed sense of purpose and direction. For my part, the next step is to further clarify the strategy, engage their wider team, and ensure momentum stays strong. For CEOs and business leaders, the lesson here is simple: when your market is crowded, clarity is your superpower. By focusing on a specific audience and carving out a distinct territory, you can turn complexity into alignment and alignment into action. How are you helping your team focus, differentiate, and move forward? #branding #Leadership #Strategy #BrandPositioning #ScalingUp #TeamAlignment #CustomerJourney #ValueCreation

Branding is Not First. It’s Fourth. And Here’s the Evidence ... As someone who’s trained thousands of Voices - founders, advisors, leaders, businesses, professional service providers - I see this said most of the time: “We need to work on our branding.” But here's my perspective: -> Branding is not your Identity -> Branding is not your Positioning -> Branding is not your Message Branding is the expression of those things. If you skip the foundation and jump to the wrapper, you get what most people get: something that looks good but doesn’t land. Let’s take the big names everyone loves to throw around. Some evidence: #Apple 1. Identity: Challenging the status quo. Merging design and function. 2. Positioning: Premium tech for creative rebels. 3. Messaging: Simple. Elegant. Human. 4. Branding: Clean white, sleek metal, iconic bitten apple. Conclusion: Their branding is flawless because their identity is baked in. #Amazon 1. Identity: Customer obsession. Scale. Efficiency. 2. Positioning: The “everything store,” faster and cheaper. 3. Messaging: From A to Z, fast and easy. 4. Branding: Yellow smile. One-click comfort. Functional and familiar. Conclusion: Branding mirrors what they do with excellence - not what they wish they were. #Tesla 1. Identity: Disruptive. Mission-first. Elon-fueled audacity. 2. Positioning: Electric, but faster. Greener, but sexier. 3. Messaging: Bold claims. No apologies. 4. Branding: Futuristic fonts, minimalist web, SpaceX energy. Conclusion: The brand feels electric because the soul behind it is. #ThePoint? -> Branding is not unimportant. It’s crucial. -> But it’s the last thing to get right, not the first. -> Branding is #4 not in importance, but in sequence. -> Because if you don’t know who you are, what you stand for, and what must be said - no brand agency can save you. If you want to get #Irresistible in your #Positioning? -> Get clear on your Identity, Positioning, and articulating your Message. -> Then Brand it with surgical precision. -> Use a scalpel, not a sledgehammer. - Ricky Lien P.S. My new Positioning (still under construction) domain is www.Positioning dot One (Pic: "I am the Master of my Fate I am the Captain of my Ship (Soul)." [Inspired by 'Invictus' by William Ernest Henley.) #Positioning #VoiceOfTheLeader #RadicalLeadership #CoCreativeSelling™

In the GCC, a car isn’t just transportation - it’s identity on wheels. We often assume car buyers in the region are driven by functionality or status. But the truth runs deeper - car ownership is a cultural and emotional decision, not just a practical one. Here’s what most brands get themselves limiting: They segment by age, income, or geography. But that’s not how people in Dubai or Riyadh choose their cars. ✅ An Emirati buyer might prioritize power and off-road ruggedness - think desert drives and national pride ✅ An expat in Dubai may want agility and efficiency - easy parking, city driving, cost-effective maintenance ✅ A Saudi entrepreneur may opt for luxury and presence - a vehicle that signals success and stature. Here’s where it gets interesting If you build a product that delivers across needs and play the “long game”, you can create an entirely new segment. Just look at the Nissan Patrol - not the most expensive car in the UAE, but unofficially the national car. People drive it with pride not because of the price, but because of what it symbolizes. It stands tall alongside high-end brands because it’s earned its place in the cultural narrative. But here’s what most brands overlook - It took over 15 years of consistent investment, positioning, and presence for Nissan to embed itself into culture. Insights shared by Ahmed Hossam at the Product Marketing Summit, and it couldn’t be more relevant today across domains. This kind of brand equity doesn’t come from quarterly sprints or reactive pivots under short term pressure. You don’t become a symbol of pride when you’re run by panic. What does this mean for marketers? → Surface-level segmentation won’t cut it → You need to dig into behavior, values, and the emotional utility of ownership → Brand positioning must align with identity, not just utility and it must be protected from short-term sales pressure. #brand #marketing #segmentation #strategy

Brand positioning is NOT what you say you do It’s what people associate you with without having to think twice📍 -That’s what builds recall -That’s what builds visibility -That’s what actually builds a BRAND Take Zomato as an example: On paper, it’s a food delivery app. But that’s not how people experience it. You don’t open Zomato just because you’re hungry. -You open it when you’re tired -When you don’t want to decide -When you just want something easy That’s positioning📍 They’ve quietly moved from ‘food delivery’ to ‘we make life easier in the moment.’ And everything supports that narrative. ☇The app remembers what you like. ⇢It nudges you to ‘order again.’ ⇢It reduces decisions for you. So over time, it stops being an app. It becomes a default. Then comes visibility📍 Most brands chase attention. Zomato built a voice people actually enjoy. Their notifications feel human. A little witty, a little unexpected. And that’s why people don’t mute them. They read them. ✅ That’s branding doing its job. And the smartest shift? Blinkit Now the story is not ‘we deliver food.’ It’s: ‘we deliver anything you need, fast.’ That’s not expansion. That’s repositioning at scale. Notice how one idea keeps repeating: speed + ease And when a brand keeps showing up with the same idea, in different ways, over time It becomes what people remember. That’s what most founders miss. Branding is not about being everywhere. It’s about being the first thing that comes to mind when the moment appears. Zomato didn’t win because it delivers food. It won because it became the easiest answer. What’s one brand that comes to your mind instantly, without thinking?