Build the product

Ship an MVP, work with builders, and iterate toward something people use.

What founders use for build the product, ranked by how many answers lean on it.

  1. Michael Seibel, who ran YC, makes the blunt case for shipping something almost embarrassingly simple and learning from real... Y Combinator Startup Library Video · ~10 min video How to Build an MVP Michael Seibel In 23 answers
  2. Video · ~13 min How to Plan an MVP Michael Seibel (YC) In 22 answers
  3. Video · ~25 min How to Talk to Users Eric Migicovsky In 17 answers
  4. Michael Seibel's crisp framing of holding the problem and customer tightly while holding the solution loosely, the mindset that... Y Combinator Startup Library Video · ~15 min How to Plan an MVP Michael Seibel In 8 answers
  5. Video · ~20 min How To Talk To Users | Startup School Gustaf Alstromer In 3 answers
  6. Video · ~45 min How to Launch an MVP Michael Seibel and Eric Migicovsky In 3 answers
  7. Video · 44 min Refactoring UI (CSS Day 2019 talk) Steve Schoger In 3 answers
  8. A two minute explanation of one of the most practical rules for founders: users spend nearly all their time on other apps, so... Nielsen Norman Group Video · 2 min Jakob's Law of Internet User Experience (video) Jakob Nielsen In 3 answers
  9. Video · 18 minutes Design for Startups (Part 1) Garry Tan In 3 answers
  10. A YC partner turns 'talk to users' into a repeatable 5-question interview script you can use this afternoon. It's The Mom Test... YC Startup Library Video · ~25 min How to Talk to Users Eric Migicovsky (YC / founder of Pebble) In 2 answers
  11. Bridges the gap between 'I have an idea' and 'I have evidence.' Gives a concrete framework for cheap, fast tests so you stop... YC Startup Library Video · ~30 min How to Get and Test Startup Ideas YC In 2 answers
  12. A YC partner and ex-Airbnb growth lead gives a tactical, no-fluff talk on landing early customers for both B2B and B2C. It's... YC Startup Library Video · ~30 min video How to Get Your First Customers Gustaf Alstromer (Y Combinator) In 2 answers
  13. The definitive talk that reframes launching from a one-shot event into a repeatable tactic, exactly this category's thesis. YC... YC Startup Library Video · ~25 min How to Launch (Again and Again) Kat Manalac (Y Combinator) In 2 answers
  14. Video · 48 min How to Build Products Users Love Kevin Hale In 2 answers
  15. Video · 5 min Debt Metaphor Ward Cunningham In 2 answers
  16. Taggar covers the full arc: why a co-founder matters, when to bring one on, where to look, and how to keep the relationship... Y Combinator Startup Library Video How To Find A Co-Founder Harj Taggar In 2 answers
  17. A Startup School talk with a YC partner and Triplebyte's co-founder on finding and hiring key engineers from scratch.... Y Combinator Startup Library Video · Around 45 minutes Building an engineering team Harj Taggar and Ammon Bartram In 2 answers
  18. Video · 35 min The Startup Playbook for Hiring Your First Engineers and AEs Y Combinator In 2 answers
  19. Video · ~24 min Usability Test Demo by Steve Krug Steve Krug In 2 answers
  20. A YC partner turns 'how do I get an idea' into a concrete checklist you can run today, plus the traps (tarpit ideas) that sink... YC Startup Library Video · ~50 min How to Get and Evaluate Startup Ideas Jared Friedman (Y Combinator)
  21. A step-by-step, modern YC walkthrough of identifying buyers, starting conversations, and converting them into your first... YC Startup Library Video · ~20 min How to Get Your First 10 Customers Max Kolysh (Y Combinator)
  22. Video · ~20 min How to do customer interviews? | Rob Fitzpatrick, author of "The Mom Test" Rob Fitzpatrick
  23. Video · About 40 minutes Challenges and learnings of building for the next billion users (Google I/O '18) Google (Next Billion Users team: Nithya Sambasivan, Josh Woodward and colleagues)
  24. Video · About 25 minutes Building Product Michael Seibel

Show the next 24

The questions

Building your MVP 18

Build the smallest thing that tests the biggest risk.

What actually counts as an MVP, and what's the smallest one I can get away with? 20 → How do I decide which features to cut from v1? 18 → How long should building an MVP take? 19 → Should I build an MVP at all, or can I validate without one? 20 → How do I get my first users for the MVP? 17 → All 18 questions in Building your MVP →
No-code & low-code building 18

Ship a product without writing code.

Which no-code tool should I use to build my first product? 20 → Can I really build a serious business on no-code, or will I hit a wall? 18 → Should I use an AI app builder like Lovable or Replit instead of traditional no-code? 20 → How do I connect payments and handle data if I'm building no-code in India? 20 → What can I build with just a spreadsheet as the backend? 20 → All 18 questions in No-code & low-code building →
Finding & working with developers 18

Get it built when you can't build it yourself.

I'm non-technical, do I actually need a technical co-founder? 18 → How do I actually find a technical co-founder? 19 → Should I hire an agency or a freelancer to build my MVP? 17 → How do I hire good engineers in India when everyone's competing for the same talent? 18 → How do I evaluate a developer's skill if I can't code? 19 → All 18 questions in Finding & working with developers →
Product design & UX basics 18

Make it obvious, not clever.

I'm not a designer, how do I make my product not look terrible? 18 → What are the core UX principles every founder should know? 20 → How do I know if my product is confusing to users? 17 → Should I learn Figma, and how much design do I really need? 19 → Why does good design actually matter for an early-stage startup? 19 → All 18 questions in Product design & UX basics →
Shipping, iterating & roadmap 18

Ship weekly, learn constantly, prioritise ruthlessly.

How do I decide what to build next? 19 → How often should an early-stage startup ship? 19 → How do I build a roadmap without over-planning? 19 → How do I keep talking to users while I'm heads-down building? 18 → How do product teams keep a consistent shipping rhythm as they grow? 18 → All 18 questions in Shipping, iterating & roadmap →
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →