Every side project I killed died the same way: I spent weeks building auth, billing, settings pages, and a dashboard for zero users.
The reframe that finally worked: an MVP is one loop, not a product.
The one-loop rule
Before writing a line of code, I answer one question: what is the single action that proves people want this?
- A notes app? The loop is "write a note, find it later."
- A scheduling tool? The loop is "pick a time, get a confirmation."
Everything that is not that loop is a distraction until the loop works.
What I cut (and did not miss)
- Auth: a shared link or one hardcoded user is fine on day one
- Billing: a Stripe payment link beats a billing system
- Dashboards: a plain list ships in an hour
- Settings: sane defaults, no config
Why speed compounds
Every day you build in private is a day of feedback you never get back. Shipping a rough loop in a weekend gives you real usage data; a "perfect" launch three months later gives you guesses.
I have been using 01MVP to stay honest about this. It is built for the 0 to 1 sprint, so it nudges you toward the core loop instead of the nice-to-haves.
Project: https://www.opennomos.com/en/project/01KW9BSG541GDRPXCP8JJV277Z
TL;DR
Find the one loop. Ship it this week. Let real users tell you what to build next.
What is the one loop for the thing you are building right now?
Top comments (0)