In startup culture, the term MVP; Minimum Viable Product has become gospel. Build just enough, test assumptions, learn, iterate. A process rooted in the Lean Startup methodology.
But here’s the problem: too many founders stop there. They treat the MVP like the destination when it’s only the starting line. And in Africa’s fragmented, resource-scarce markets, stopping there is often the beginning of the end.
Founders don’t just need an MVP. They need what I call the Maximum Viable Product: a mindset shift from testing ideas to building businesses that scale, sustain, and survive volatility.
Why the MVP is Not Enough
An MVP can get you in the door, it might win a pitch, turn heads at an accelerator, or even unlock early funding. But it rarely keeps you in the game.
Here’s why:
Delivering too little value: An MVP that is too minimal may underwhelm early users. If early adopters don’t see real value, you lose them before you’ve even started.
User expectations are rising: Consumers don’t compare your app to the shop next door; they compare it to Flutterwave in Lagos or Stripe in San Francisco.
Trust is fragile: In markets where digital adoption is still growing, one bad experience can turn users back to cash or competitors permanently.
Investors want traction: A minimal product without growth signals and clear pathways to scale won’t convince VCs to write bigger checks.
An MVP may test demand. But only a Maximum Viable Product earns loyalty, revenue, and long-term resilience.
What is a Maximum Viable Product?
A Maximum Viable Product (MaxVP) goes beyond the prototype. It’s a product built with scalability, trust, and sustainability baked in from the start.
Think of it as the difference between:
A tricycle that proves people want to move faster (MVP) and a roadworthy car that can carry passengers, survive potholes, and rack up the mileage needed to scale (MaxVP).
The MaxVP mindset asks:
Does it fully address a need or solve a problem for the user?
Does it build enough trust to retain users even when competition grows?
Does it create delight — an experience compelling enough that customers choose it again and again, even when alternatives exist?
Can this product scale beyond one city or country?
Can it survive regulation, infrastructure gaps, and cultural realities?
With the lowered barriers of entry into the market place, with the use of AI, competition is fierce. Your product must stand out and so a minimum viable product will not check the box for most consumers.
Lessons from African Startups
Africa offers clear lessons on why MVP thinking alone falls short:
Okra (Nigeria): Raised $16.5M but struggled to build beyond its MVP stage, leading to collapse.
Lipa Later (Kenya): Secured $15M+ but couldn’t scale sustainably due to market-fit and operational challenges.
M-PESA (Kenya): Started as a mobile payment MVP, but succeeded because it evolved into a maximum viable platform with interoperability, trust, and embedded into daily life.
Funding can amplify an MVP, but only a MaxVP mindset builds legacies.
How Founders Can Build with a MaxVP Mindset
Design for Trust, Not Just Traction: Early adopters are great, but sustained growth comes when products earn trust across demographics. Build robust customer support, transparent pricing, and reliable uptime.
Prioritize the Full User Experience: Even at the MVP stage, every feature you ship must solve a real problem and deliver a complete experience. Cutting corners on usability risks losing customers before you’ve had the chance to earn their trust.
Plan for Infrastructure Gaps: Africa’s patchy internet, power cuts, and low smartphone penetration mean products must work on USSD, offline modes, or lightweight apps. MaxVP means resilience in low-tech environments.
Embed Scalability Early: Don’t just solve for one city or one country. Design APIs, partnerships, and compliance strategies that allow for expansion into new regions.
Balance Speed with Sustainability: Move fast, yes but don’t break the trust you’re trying to build. Iterate with discipline.
Maximum Viable Product = Maximum Impact
The MVP is a test and gets you noticed. The MaxVP is a business. For founders in Africa and other emerging markets, embracing a Maximum Viable Product mindset means building not just for validation, but for scale, trust, and resilience.
Because in markets where the stakes are this high, brilliant ideas don’t just need to be viable. They need to be unbreakable, adaptable, and capable of carrying millions of users into the future.
