The MVP Principle and My Imaginary Friend

My childhood was spent living in various alternate universes. The ability to imagine kept me young longer than most. I had the ability to invent and live in entire worlds. I apparently had a friend named John Kosters. We played together. I knew his backstory. I even knew where he lived, and got genuinely excited when we drove past his house. 

John Kosters was pure imagination.

Imagination is both a superpower and kryptonite. 

Adult exercises and tools for imagining your ideal abound. 

Picture in your mind’s eye how you’d like to play the guitar or what it will be like to finish the novel. Imagine your life as a digital entrepreneur or as an actor landing your big gig. 

I am a believer in positivity (and imagination). 

I am also a believer in the work. And while imagination is a great starting point, the work never lives up to the hype. 

You can imagine laying down licks like Stevie Ray Vaughn all day. It doesn’t happen the minute you take the guitar in your arms. 

I can visualize finishing a novel. that’s glorious. The work of writing a novel is a grind. 

The MVP is an important concept in software development. The minimum viable product. While you may imagine the grand possibilities of what could be if you follow this path, it’s much more productive to work toward smaller goals that get you where you want to go. 

Learn a new scale. 

Write 500 words. 

Post a blog. 

Make a podcast. 

Create a product that meets a need and is good enough to sell. 

Keep imagining. That’s how we change the world. 

But keep your daily and weekly goals firmly rooted in the achievable. 

You still have to put your butt in the chair and do the work. 

What MVP are you aiming at today? 

(I’d also love to hear from others with imaginary friends. Please don’t tell me John and I are alone in this cruel world.)