This document summarizes the key principles of the Viability Principle for product management. It discusses how the minimum viable product (MVP) should solve a specific problem for a persona. An example is developing a screwdriver for "Olaf" who needs to screw boards but has weak grip strength. It also analyzes the Fisher Space Pen case study, how it addressed the problem of writing in zero-gravity conditions through a pressurized cartridge. The document stresses that understanding user needs is essential to developing a viable minimum product.

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6. How much of this story is true?

7. WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
● Definitions
● The Viability Principle
● Example: A Screwdriver
● Case Study: The Fisher Space
Pen is a Viable Minimum
Product

8. INTRODUCTION

9. INTRODUCTION
Product Management
● Maximize Impact
● Improve ROI
● Create the vision
and the lifecycle
● Be the CEO

10. INTRODUCTION
Product Management
● Maximize Impact
● Improve ROI
● Create the vision
and the lifecycle
● Be the CEO
… essentially, these are
effects. We’re talking
AROUND what
Product Management is
about ...

11. INTRODUCTION: The Viability Principle Solves Confusion

12. INTRODUCTION: The Viability Principle
The Viability Principle
understanding the people you’re trying to
help is the only path to viability

13. DEFINITIONS

14. DEFINITIONS
PRODUCT
Tools that
help people

15. DEFINITIONS
MINIMUM
VIABLE
PRODUCT

16. THE VIABILITY PRINCIPLE
MINIMUM
VIABLE
PRODUCT
= process

17. THE VIABILITY PRINCIPLE
MINIMUM
VIABLE
PRODUCT
(for WHO?)

18. THE VIABILITY PRINCIPLE
42% of Start-Ups
fail because there’s
no market need
(for the product)
- CB Insights (2/8/2018)

19. THE VIABILITY PRINCIPLE
What is the
problem that a
person needs
solved?

20. THE VIABILITY PRINCIPLE
PERSONA: Olaf Needs Help
● Needs to screw and unscrew boards
from new house
● Handy
● Weak Grip Strength
● Has Do-It-Yourself Mindset
● Probably owns zero tools

21. THE VIABILITY PRINCIPLE
The Viability Principle
● Minimum = Viable
● Viable = Problem Solved
● Problem Solved = A Useful Tool for
People
● QED: Minimum Viable Product =
A Useful Tool for People
TL;DR - understanding the people you’re
trying to help is the only path to viability

22. THE VIABILITY PRINCIPLE
PERSONA: Olaf Needs Help
● Needs to screw and unscrew boards
from new house
● Handy
● Weak Grip Strength
● Has Do-It-Yourself Mindset
● Probably owns zero tools

23. THE VIABILITY PRINCIPLE
Olaf Needs Help - MVP 1?

24. THE VIABILITY PRINCIPLE
Olaf Needs Help - MVP 2?

25. THE VIABILITY PRINCIPLE
Olaf Needs Help
● Handy
● Weak Grip Strength
● Has Do-It-Yourself Mindset
● Probably owns zero tools
● Needs to screw and unscrew boards
from new house

26. THE VIABILITY PRINCIPLE
Understand the people
you’re trying to help

27. THE VIABILITY PRINCIPLE
Olaf Needs Help - MVP = Power Tools

28. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN

29. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN

30. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
What is the
problem that a
person needs
solved?

31. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help
● Write down orbital trajectories
● Write down instructions
● No gravity, ink won’t flow up*
● Environment is fragile
● Little margin for error

32. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP 1?

33. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP 1?

34. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help
● Write down orbital trajectories
● Write down instructions
● No gravity, ink won’t flow up*
● Environment is fragile
● Little margin for error

35. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help
● Write down orbital trajectories
● Write down instructions
● No gravity, ink won’t flow up*
● Environment is fragile
● Little margin for error
MVP 1 could kill Astronaut

36. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help
Both NASA and the
Soviet Space Program
used pencils until 1968.

37. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help
FYI: Space Pencils that
can be used by an
astronaut were very
expensive -
~$128.84/pencil
Caused a scandal in 1965

38. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP2

39. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP2

40. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP2
● Inventor Paul C. Fisher started work
on the pen

41. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP2
● Inventor Paul C. Fisher started work
on the pen
● Fisher spent $1 million researching
the pen (no research grant)

42. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP2
● Inventor Paul C. Fisher started work
on the pen
● Fisher spent $1 million researching
the pen (no research grant)
● Fisher filed Patent US3285228 on
5/19/1965 - Anti Gravity Pen

43. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP2
● Inventor Paul C. Fisher started work
on the pen
● Fisher spent $1 million researching
the pen (no research grant)
● Fisher filed Patent US3285228 on
5/19/1965 - Anti Gravity Pen
● Used special ink

44. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP2
● Inventor Paul C. Fisher started work
on the pen
● Fisher spent $1 million researching
the pen (no research grant)
● Fisher filed Patent US3285228 on
5/19/1965 - Anti Gravity Pen
● Used special ink
● Created a pressurized cartridge

45. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP2
● Inventor Paul C. Fisher started work
on the pen
● Fisher spent $1 million researching
the pen (no research grant)
● Fisher filed Patent US3285228 on
5/19/1965 - Anti Gravity Pen
● Used special ink
● Created a pressurized cartridge
● NASA tested the pen for 2 years

46. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP
● Write down orbital trajectories
● Write down instructions
● No gravity*
● Environment is fragile
● Little margin for error

47. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP
● Write down orbital trajectories - YES
● Write down instructions
● No gravity*
● Environment is fragile
● Little margin for error

48. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP
● Write down orbital trajectories - YES
● Write down instructions - YES
● No gravity*
● Environment is fragile
● Little margin for error

49. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP
● Write down orbital trajectories - YES
● Write down instructions - YES
● No gravity* - PRESSURIZED
● Environment is fragile
● Little margin for error

50. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP
● Write down orbital trajectories - YES
● Write down instructions - YES
● No gravity* - PRESSURIZED
● Environment is fragile - OK
● Little margin for error

51. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP
● Write down orbital trajectories - YES
● Write down instructions - YES
● No gravity* - PRESSURIZED
● Environment is fragile - OK
● Little margin for error - OK

52. CASE STUDY: THE FISHER SPACE PEN
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP
● Write down orbital trajectories - YES
● Write down instructions - YES
● No gravity* - PRESSURIZED
● Environment is fragile - OK
● Little margin for error - OK
MVP 2 helps Astronaut

53. EPILOGUE
Astronaut Needs Help - MVP2
● Fisher charged $2.39 per pen to
NASA (wholesale price)
● NASA bought 400
● Soviet Space Agency bought 100
● https://www.scientificamerican.com/a
rticle/fact-or-fiction-nasa-spen/
● https://history.nasa.gov/spacepen.html

54. EPILOGUE
Pedro Duque’s 2003 Soyuz Trip
● Wrote in space with ballpoint pen
● Tested and proved they worked
● http://www.esa.int/esl/ESA_in_your_c
ountry/Spain/Pedro_Duque_s_diary_f
rom_space
*tl;dr - ballpoint pens work in space

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