The Minimum Viable Business System for a One-Person Company

Product demo is not a business

A demo proves the idea works. A business system proves the idea can be sold repeatedly. The difference is the plumbing around the product.

The seven components

• Entry point - a fast website that explains the outcome, not the features.
• Delivery - a reliable way for the customer to receive the product.
• Payments - checkout, refunds and receipts handled automatically.
• Access - accounts, entitlements and upgrade paths.
• Analytics - events that answer "what did people do".
• Feedback - one channel where users complain productively.
• Cost alarm - a monthly ceiling so infrastructure never surprises you.

Ship the smallest version

Build only what is required to charge money once, deliver once, and learn once. Everything else can be added after the first real customer.