Design Led MVP Validation
A new portfolio product needed traction evidence before a heavy build. and the investor needed a defensible ROI story tied to real buyer intent, not internal optimism.
- Timeline
- Discovery and LOI motion over a concentrated period; v1 build sequenced immediately after intent crystallised, with milestones aligned to investor reporting.
- Scope
- Design MVP and assets, buyer discovery programme, LOI facilitation and synthesis, roadmap and v1 scope for build, investor aligned business plan and ROI storyline support alongside the client leadership team.
- Model
- Joint core team with enterprise stakeholders; Ravon accountable for discovery rigour, artefact quality, and traceability from buyer evidence to build and investor narrative, client accountable for account access and commercial sign off.
The outcome
Design MVP led to ten signed letters of intent; a scoped v1 shipped with a clear business plan and ROI framing.
Findings
What we built it around.
Design MVP
clickable or high fidelity narrative prototype aligned to the highest value buyer journey, not a kitchen sink demo
Discovery operating system
interview scripts, scoring rubrics, and weekly synthesis so learning compounded instead of dissipating in notes
Buyer and use case prioritisation matrix
explicit ranking of segments to pursue for LOIs versus those parked until v2
LOI template and commercial framing
mutual clarity on intent, constraints, and what 'success' means before engineering locks scope
Investor pack linkage
traceability from each LOI theme to roadmap line items, cost assumptions, and revenue timing in the business plan
Scoped v1 delivery plan
ship list derived from LOI backed requirements with explicit deferrals documented for the board or investor
Results
What changed.
Ten letters of intent from buyers the team agreed were in scope, converting abstract pipeline into documented intent ahead of full build
Faster path to product, market fit signals by forcing build decisions through validated problems rather than internal feature voting
Investor received a coherent ROI narrative: evidence of demand, a scoped product, and a plan that matched what buyers had already endorsed
Reduced waste: features that failed discovery tests were cut or deferred with rationale, protecting engineering morale and margin
Sales and product shared one language for what v1 must deliver, shrinking rework after launch
Takeaway
Design MVP led to ten signed letters of intent; a scoped v1 shipped with a clear business plan and ROI framing.
Enterprise software / B2B
Start a discovery
Most engagements begin with a conversation about context.
We do not send a proposal before we understand the problem. Start by telling us about your decision context. We will identify the highest leverage intervention areas before any scope is agreed.