A first version scoped to actually ship
Not every feature you can imagine - the smallest real product that gets in front of users fast enough to learn whether the idea holds up.
What a first version has to prove
A v1 is not a smaller v3. It is the cheapest real way to answer three questions - so anything that does not help answer one waits.
Does the first audience want it?
Scope cut to what proves the idea
We help cut the feature list to what your first users actually need to see.
Will they use it for real?
A real product, not a prototype
Something users can actually use and pay for, not a clickable mockup.
Can it grow into v2?
Built to extend, not throw away
Architecture that becomes v2 instead of getting rewritten from scratch.
Eight weeks, week by week
The usual shape of a first release. Week one sets the real plan; new ideas mid-build go to Later.
The feature list cut to v1 with you, and the real timeline set from it.
Only the flows v1 needs, clickable, agreed before any of it is built.
A working build on staging every week that you can use and comment on.
A small group uses it for real; whatever trips them up is fixed.
Live on your domain, with analytics and error tracking switched on.
After launch, the Later list
Launch is when the learning starts. What first users stumble on is fixed first; then the Later column is sorted by what people actually do and ask for, and built on the same codebase - v1 becomes v2 instead of being thrown away.
Is it the right time?
Ready now if
- You have a specific first audience in mind, not just a broad idea
- You need something real in front of users within weeks, not months
Wait a little if
- The idea itself is still changing shape week to week
- You need enterprise-scale infrastructure before you have a single user
Questions founders ask
Is eight weeks a promise?
No. It is the usual shape of a first release. Week one - cutting the scope with you - is what sets the real timeline.
What if we think of a feature halfway through?
It goes on the Later list by default. Once real users are in, that list is sorted by what they actually do and ask for.
Is this a prototype we throw away?
No. It is a real product people can use and pay for, built so that v2 is added to it rather than rewritten.
What happens after launch?
Fixes from the first users come first, then the Later list is worked through on the same codebase - with us, or with your own team.
Have an idea and a feature list?
Send us the list. We come back with what we would put in v1, what we would leave for later, and a timeline.