Simple, lovable, and complete
We've all heard of the MVP, minimal viable product. It is the smallest amount of your offering (product, service, what-it-be) that can deliver value to your audience. Setting the bar here encourages you to launch something sooner, rather than forever iterating and improving, risking that you may never share the thing.
However, a heuristic I prefer is simple, lovable, and complete.
- Simple. Does it do one thing well? Solve a single need.
- Lovable. When I use this, does it bring delight? Notice the emotional experience of the product. That could be because it solved my problem or because it made me smile or feel inspired.
- Complete. No loose ends. There may be missing features, but the journey for solving the core need is done.
The MVP framing will deliver a functional thing that meets a need. But something that is simple, lovable, and complete will be much more memorable and spark joy. Next time you are working on a new project, try asking if your MVP is an SLC.