Why you shouldn’t build an MVP, better business writing, and some Stoicism

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Building Blocks: Actionable insights to build an Intentional Life

Hey everybody,

Here’s another batch of actionable insights to start your week off right, so you can be more intentional with how you live, work, and create.

Let’s get started.

Insight 1: Build an MVT Before an MVP

So far in his career, Gagan Biyani has been early at four startups: Udemy, Lyft, Sprig and Maven. Three of them achieved over $1M in run-rate in their first six months of going live.

In a recent article, he outlined his philosophy on why creating an MVP is ill-advised for many entrepreneurs and detailed a better solution: the Minimum Viable Test.

“There are a lot of definitions of MVPs out there, but I’ll suggest one: An MVP is a basic early version of a product that looks and feels like a simplified version of the eventual vision. An MVT, on the other hand, does not attempt to look like the eventual product. It’s rather a specific test of an assumption that must be true for the business to succeed.”

I love this idea and will be following his framework while I design my CBC.

​Here’s the full article.​

Insight 2: Clear Writing is Clear Thinking

“Clear writing is clear thinking.”

We’ve all heard it, and it’s true. The better you can create and communicate ideas, the better you can position yourself in life and business.

But how do you do it?

In his recent article, Sahil Bloom deconstructs the four key principles of powerful business writing.

Specifically:

  1. Draft Fast, Edit Slow
  2. KISS
  3. Clear Target Reaction
  4. Storytelling

​Here’s the full article.​

Insight 3: Stoicism FTW

Y’all know I love Stoicism, especially the way Ryan Holiday approaches it.

If you’re interested in a pithy video with highly practical strategies to improve your performance, build resilience and grit, and take back control, check out this video:

​Seneca’s 8 Tips For Mastering Yourself​

Question for the Week

What is a small investment you can make in yourself now that has the potential to pay off big over the next 3 months?

Insights in Action

One of the best ways to clarify your thinking is to write it out.

So if you want to develop your thinking on this question or start applying insights from today’s newsletter, send a tweet to @CoreyWilksPsyD with your thoughts and put #BuildingBlocks at the end so I can find it.

Not ready to “think in public” yet? No problem. You can also reply to this email if you want to share your thoughts with me.

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Until next time—memento mori,​
​
Corey Wilks, Psy.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Executive Coach

Building https://coreywilkspsyd.com/