90-Day MVP Incubator Program Guide

1. Program Introduction & Benefits

This 90-Day MVP Incubator is a structured, cohort-based program designed to guide entrepreneurs and early-stage startups through the Lean Startup methodology. The core essence is to transform a raw idea into a validated Minimum Viable Product (MVP) within three months by rigorously applying the build-measure-learn feedback loop. The program combats common startup pitfalls by enforcing rapid experimentation, customer-centric validation, and data-driven decision-making.

Strategic Benefits for Entrepreneurs & Startups:

1. Accelerated Time-to-Validation: Move from concept to a market-tested MVP in 90 days, dramatically reducing the time and capital typically wasted on unproven ideas.
2. De-Risked Development: Systematically test core business hypotheses with real users before over-investing in development, ensuring you build something people actually want.
3. Cultivation of an Agile Mindset: Instill the principles of Lean Startup and iterative development, equipping founders with a repeatable framework for continuous innovation beyond the program.
4. Resource Efficiency: Learn to build and test with minimal resources using economical tools and techniques, maximizing learning per dollar spent.
5. Clarity on Path Forward: Conclude the program with clear, data-backed evidence to either persevere with a validated concept, pivot to a new direction, or stop, along with a concrete plan for the next phase.

2. Program Expansion Strategy

Evaluation: This is an Incubator Program, not a pure Mentorship or Coaching program. However, the goal of transforming an idea into an MVP in 90 days is highly complex and fraught with uncertainty. Founders often struggle with blind spots, lack of experience, and decision paralysis. A supplemental structured mentorship layer would significantly improve outcomes by providing personalized guidance, accountability, and access to seasoned expertise.

Proposed Addition: Expert-in-Residence (EIR) Mentorship Layer

• Why it Adds Value: While the core program provides the framework and peer support, EIRs (successful founders, product experts, investors) offer tactical advice, help troubleshoot specific challenges, validate strategic decisions, and expand the cohort's network. This bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, increasing the likelihood of achieving key milestones.
• Implementation Note: Integrate 1-2 EIRs per cohort of 10-15 startups. Schedule would include:
  • Kickoff & Office Hours: EIRs attend the program launch and hold bi-weekly group office hours.
  • Milestone Reviews: EIRs participate in the milestone demo days (Weeks 4, 8, 12) to provide direct feedback.
  • 1:1 Sessions: Each startup is allocated two 45-minute 1:1 sessions with an EIR, strategically scheduled after the Problem-Solution Fit milestone (Week 4) and before the final validation (Week 11).

3. Implementation Roadmap

Launch Phase (Pre-Program: Weeks -4 to 0)

• $render`✓` Define & Communicate Program: Finalize guide, curriculum, and success metrics.
• $render`✓` Select & Onboard EIRs: Recruit and brief Expert-in-Residence mentors.
• $render`✓` Cohort Application & Selection: Launch application portal, vet startups for commitment and idea-stage fit.
• $render`✓` Participant Onboarding: Send welcome packs, pre-work (e.g., initial hypothesis canvas), and schedule.
• $render`✓` Tool Setup: Configure all software platforms (LMS, Social Network) for cohort access.
• $render`✓` Kickoff Workshop: Host a live session to align expectations, introduce the Lean Startup cycle, and form peer groups.

Tracking & Operations (Program Runtime: Weeks 1-12)

• Weekly Cadence:
  • Content Delivery: Release core module content (videos, guides, templates) via the LMS every Monday.
  • Accountability Check-ins: Facilitate peer group syncs via the Internal Social Network every Wednesday.
  • Progress Tracking: Participants update a shared KPI dashboard (e.g., in the LMS) with weekly experiment results and metric updates.
• Bi-Weekly Cadence: Host EIR group office hours and program manager Q&A sessions.
• Milestone Gates: Formal review presentations at Weeks 4, 8, and 12. Progress to the next phase is contingent on demonstrating validated learning from the previous milestone.

Success Measurement

• Quantitative KPIs:
  • Program Completion: >90% of startups complete all 3 milestone reviews.
  • MVP Launch Rate: >80% launch a testable MVP to early users by Day 90.
  • Feedback Velocity: Average experiment cycle time of ≤10 days.
  • User Validation: Cohort aggregate of ≥500 early user interactions (interviews, tests).
• Qualitative KPIs:
  • Participant Surveys: Measure confidence in idea and execution ability (1-5 scale) at start, midpoint, and end. Target: 70%+ report increased readiness.
  • EIR Feedback: Qualitative assessment of cohort progress and decision-making quality.
  • Artifact Quality: Review of final "Validation Report & Iteration Plan" for evidence of data-driven decisions (pivot/persevere).
• Feedback Mechanisms:
  • Mid-program anonymous survey (Week 6).
  • Final retrospective and Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey at conclusion.
  • Continuous feedback channel via the Internal Social Network.

4. Approved Tools List

Based on the program's need for content delivery, community building, and structured progress tracking:

1. LMS (Learning Management System): PRIMARY TOOL. This is non-negotiable for delivering the sequenced curriculum (the four Actionable Content Pillars), hosting video workshops, distributing templates, and collecting assignments. It provides the central, structured learning path.
2. Internal Social Network: ESSENTIAL. Fosters peer-to-peer collaboration, problem-solving, and accountability. Critical for creating a cohort identity, enabling weekly check-ins, and facilitating informal knowledge sharing outside of formal sessions.
3. Onboarding Platform: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Justified for streamlining the participant and EIR onboarding experience. It can automate the delivery of welcome materials, program calendars, tool access, and pre-work, ensuring a professional and consistent start.

Justification Against Other Tools: Mentorship/Coaching Software is not selected as the primary interaction model is cohort-based with supplemental EIR involvement, which can be managed via the LMS calendar and social network. ERG Software is irrelevant. A Personality Test could be a distracting one-off activity not core to the MVP build process.

5. Resource & Content Library

General Program Content (Core Curriculum)

• Module 1: Idea Validation & Hypothesis Formation
  • Guide: "The Problem Statement Canvas"
  • Video: "Conducting Effective Customer Discovery Interviews"
  • Template: "Lean Hypothesis & Experiment Tracking Sheet"
  • Article: "Identifying Your Riskiest Assumption"
• Module 2: MVP Design & Rapid Prototyping
  • Workshop Video: "Feature Prioritization: The MoSCoW Method"
  • Guide: "Low-Fidelity MVP Techniques: Concierge, Wizard of Oz, & Prototypes"
  • Toolkit: "List of No-Code/Low-Code Platforms for Testing"
  • Case Study: "How Dropbox Started with a Video MVP"
• Module 3: Measurement & Feedback Loops
  • Guide: "Defining Actionable vs. Vanity Metrics"
  • Template: "MVP Launch & Feedback Capture Plan"
  • Video: "Analytics Setup for Early-Stage Products"
  • Article: "The Innovation Accounting Framework"
• Module 4: Iteration, Pivot & Scaling Foundations
  • Framework: "The Pivot/Persevere Meeting Agenda"
  • Guide: "Building Your Post-MVP Growth Model"
  • Template: "90-Day Post-Program Execution Roadmap"
  • Case Study: "Pivot案例分析: From Game to Social Network (Instagram)"

Supplemental Mentoring Content Table

For EIRs and participants to enhance advisory and peer interactions.

Topic	Purpose	Format	Description
Active Listening for Discovery	To improve the quality of customer interviews and feedback.	Short Guide & Checklist	Techniques for listening without bias, probing for root causes, and capturing authentic insights.
Giving & Receiving Constructive Feedback	To make milestone reviews and peer sessions more productive.	Interactive Video Scenario	Frameworks for delivering clear, actionable feedback on MVPs and strategies, and for receiving it non-defensively.
Founder Communication & Storytelling	To articulate the problem, vision, and progress clearly to EIRs, peers, and early users.	Workshop Exercise	Crafting a compelling narrative for different audiences (user, advisor, investor).
Managing Uncertainty & Decision Fatigue	To build resilience and improve decision-making under pressure.	Article & Reflection Prompts	Strategies for maintaining momentum when data is ambiguous and choices are unclear.