Article · ~12 min read

Concierge vs. Wizard of Oz MVP

LogRocket Free Beginner

The two ways to fake a product while you test real demand. Do the work by hand in the open (concierge), or hide the manual work behind a front so users think it is automated (Wizard of Oz, the way Zappos started). Clear examples of when each one fits.

  • Concierge is transparent, Wizard of Oz is hidden.
  • Both let you sell before you build.
  • Match the method to what you are unsure about.
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It answers 12 questions

  1. What actually counts as an MVP, and what's the smallest one I can get away with?
  2. When is my product 'ready' to launch?
  3. How do I validate an idea without building anything?
  4. What is an MVP and what's the smallest one I can build?
  5. How do I actually validate my idea with a no-code prototype before I sink weeks into building the real thing?
  6. What does a 'soft launch' actually look like, and is it just a cop-out for being scared to ship?
  7. I'm non-technical and can't afford a developer. Can I ship a real MVP with no-code tools, or will that trap me later?
  8. Everyone says do things that don't scale, but where's the line between that and just wasting weeks doing manual work?
  9. How much should an MVP realistically cost to build in India?
  10. What is a concierge or Wizard of Oz MVP and when should I use one?
  11. I'm a solo technical founder. How do I MVP a two-sided marketplace when I need both buyers and sellers before it works at all?
  12. How much should I spend building an MVP as a bootstrapped founder in India, and where does the money actually leak?

Read with it

  1. The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past... momtestbook.com Book · ~130 pages The Mom Test Rob Fitzpatrick
  2. The permission slip to recruit users by hand, do things manually, and deliver 'insanely great' experiences to your first few... paulgraham.com Essay · ~15 min read Do Things That Don't Scale Paul Graham
  3. The origin text for the modern MVP and validated-learning vocabulary every founder now uses. Read it for the mental model that... theleanstartup.com Book · ~330 pages The Lean Startup Eric Ries
  4. Video · ~13 min How to Plan an MVP Michael Seibel (YC)
  5. Video · ~25 min How to Talk to Users Eric Migicovsky
  6. 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
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