March Randolph Advice on Building a Product
Updated on
Marc Randolph
@mbrandolph·Feb 26
If you’re building an MVP…you’re building too much.
You want to build an MUP. A Minimal Unviable Product.
It doesn’t need to be repeatable or scalable. Just enough to prove that someone really wants what you’re building.
Because even after 40 years, I still have to remind myself that “it doesn’t need to be perfect”.
Marc Randolph, Netflix’s co-founder, says most people overbuild when testing ideas. Instead of chasing a “Minimum Viable Product,” build a “Minimum Unviable Product.” Just enough to prove someone actually wants it.
Why it works
- Forces speed. You validate today, not next quarter.
- Focuses on demand, not polish.
- Avoids the perfection trap that kills creative momentum.
- Helps you test willingness to pay, not just interest.
Real world examples
- Airbnb tested demand with photos and a simple site long before building their platform.
- Dropbox demoed a video before writing real code.
- Zappos’ founder manually fulfilled shoe orders from local stores to prove online demand.
- Buffer launched with a landing page to test pricing before the product existed.
Build unviable first. Viable comes later.
Analyzed by Swipebot
Loading analysis...
