What if the MVP isn’t a product - but a conversation?

I used to think MVP meant something you build.

A stripped-down product. A hacked-together prototype.

Something that runs, loads, clicks - even if it’s ugly.

And it makes sense, right?

As builders, our instinct is to… well, build.

You get an idea → you open a code editor.

It’s muscle memory.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth I learned:

I’ve wasted weeks building things that could’ve been validated in 15 minutes - with a single conversation.

There was a moment when I stopped asking:

And surprisingly, the answer wasn’t “launch something.”

It was: talk to someone. Ask better questions.

Not just “Would you use this?” - but “What are you doing today instead?”

Not just “Do you have this problem?” - but “When’s the last time this problem actually cost you something?”

That’s when I realized:

Sometimes, the real MVP is a conversation that reveals the truth faster than code ever will.

Here’s the hard part: conversations don’t feel like progress.

There’s no deploy.
No metrics.
No dopamine from a fresh UI.

But they give you something deeper: clarity.

Clarity that saves you weeks.

Clarity that stops you from shipping a ghost town.

Now when I have a new idea, I fight the urge to open VS Code.

Instead, I open a DM, a calendar invite, or just a blank doc to write the questions I actually need answers to.

The lesson?

Speed isn’t about how fast you can ship.

It’s about how fast you can learn.

And sometimes, the shortest path to truth isn’t a product - it’s a conversation.