·4 min read
MVP User Personas: Keep It Simple
Forget 10-page persona documents. For MVPs, you need just enough to make better decisions.
MVP Persona Essentials
- •Job or role
- •Main problem they face
- •Current solution they use
- •What triggers them to seek alternatives
- •What would make them pay
Simple Persona Template
| Element | Example |
|---|---|
| Role | Marketing manager at a startup |
| Problem | Spending 10 hours weekly on social media scheduling |
| Current solution | Spreadsheets and manual posting |
| Trigger | Missed a campaign deadline |
| Budget | 50-100 per month for tools |
How to Research Personas
- •Talk to 5-10 potential users
- •Read Reddit and forum discussions
- •Check competitor reviews
- •Look at job postings for your target role
- •Survey your waitlist
One Persona to Start
For your MVP, focus on ONE primary persona. Build for them first. You can expand later.
Using Personas
- •Feature decisions: Would Sarah use this?
- •Copy and messaging: How would Sarah describe this?
- •Pricing: What can Sarah afford?
- •Marketing: Where does Sarah hang out online?
Persona Anti-Patterns
- •Made-up demographics that do not matter
- •Stock photos and fictional names
- •Too many personas (stick to 1-2 for MVP)
- •Never updating them with real data
The best persona is a real person you talked to. Name your persona after an actual user you interviewed.