The MVP balancing act: designing vs building

Julia Bristow
| 27 August 2025

MVPs often means different things depending on who you ask. Is it a quick experiment to learn from? A bare-bones product launched to market? Or something more nuanced like a Minimum Lovable Product that delights users? These questions are more than academic. They affect how teams build, launch, and iterate on new products.

We recently hosted a fast-paced 60-minute panel discussion with two experts who see MVPs from very different but complementary angles: Angelo Zanetti, CEO and Co-Founder of Cape Town software agency Elemental, and Chris Metcalfe, Co-Founder of UX research studio How Might We.

The conversation explored the tension and connection between building an MVP that’s technically sound and one that is truly user-centred.

Wouldn’t it be great if GPTs could point out potential bias and plot holes as readily as it points out neatly grouped themes and available next steps?

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