Your MVP Always Sucks,BTW... | 매거진에 참여하세요

Why indifference is the default — and how to turn it into insight.

Founders dream. Users live in reality.

As founders, we imagine sleek UX, seamless flows, and delightful onboarding.

But our first MVP? It’s rarely that.

Buttons aren’t where they should be.
Features break halfway.
Users are confused.
You think, “They’ll figure it out.”
They think, “What am I supposed to do here?”

Let’s be honest:

The chance that a user is satisfied with your MVP is basically 0%.
And that’s not a problem — it’s the point.

You’ve Been Tricked by Success Stories

We love hearing how Airbnb, Dropbox, and Facebook started with an MVP.
But here’s what you don’t hear:

• - Airbnb had zero bookings for months

• - Dropbox showed only a concept video

• - Facebook launched in a single campus with a basic UI

We forget that their MVPs weren’t successes — they were just starts.

The Real MVP Trap

When people say, “their MVP worked,” what they mean is:

“One step in a much longer story ended up successful.”

But for most of us, the MVP gets:

• - Ignored

• - Criticized

• - Forgotten

Your earliest users aren’t early adopters — they’re early critics.
Only founders who push through that wall get to build something real.

The Real Purpose of an MVP

Your MVP isn’t a product.
It’s an experiment.

You’re not launching to win.
You’re launching to ask:

“Does anyone care?”
“Was our hypothesis right?”

Silence or rejection is not failure — it’s feedback.

The only real failure?
No response at all.

Why Do Users Ignore MVPs?

1. They are busy

Your MVP is your everything.
To them? It’s just another random link.

Even signing up is generous.

2. 2. They’re seeing your guess, not your product.

You built your MVP on a hypothesis.
If the hypothesis is wrong, the reaction is:

“What is this?”
“Why would I use it?”

That’s not rejection. That’s data.

3. Satisfaction is impossible by design.

An MVP is incomplete by nature.
Confusion, bugs, and questions are expected.

If your MVP feels like a rough prototype — good.
That means you’re ready to learn.

What Should You Do After MVP?

Waiting is not a strategy.
Action is.

Step 1: Identify Responders (even weak ones)

Look for:

• Users who signed up but never came back

• Users who clicked one thing, then left

• Users who lingered on your FAQ

• Clear drop-off points in your flow

These are not silent users. These are incomplete signals.

Step 2: Reach Out — Aggressively, Kindly

Priority:

📞 Call > 📧 Email > 💬 DM

Sample script:

“Hi [Name], we’re building something new and would really value your feedback.

Just 5–10 minutes. What confused you? What did you expect instead?”

Or:

“Thanks for signing up! We know it’s far from perfect — would love even a one-sentence reaction.”

Step 3: Turn Complaints into Roadmaps

Generic:

“It’s okay, I guess…” — Useless.

Useful:

“I didn’t know where to click.”
“Felt too complicated.”
“I already use X for this.”

These are gold. Criticism isn’t rejection — it’s direction.

Real Tactics to Capture Real Feedback

Tactic 1: Automated Interview Triggers

• If inactive for 3 days, send survey

• Incentivize with a $5 gift card

• One-click feedback form via email

Tactic 2: High-Touch User Conversations

• Invite select users to Zoom feedback sessions

• Document everything in Notion

• Mention users by name in release notes (with permission)

Tactic 3: Publish “Feature Failures”

• Write a blog post:

  “Why we built [X], why no one used it, and what we learned.”

• These build founder trust and attract like-minded builders.

One Angry User Can Be Worth a Hundred Passive Ones

Your MVP doesn’t need to satisfy — it needs to provoke.

Even a single “I didn’t get it” can shape your next 6 months.

The probability that your MVP satisfies users is near 0%.
But the probability that one critical user will guide you to a better product?
That’s close to 100%.