Minimal Lovable Product (MLP)
by Jiaona Zhang (JZ) • SVP of Product at Webflow
Jiaona Zhang (JZ) is the Senior Vice President of Product at Webflow and a lecturer at Stanford University. She previously held senior product leadership roles at WeWork, Airbnb, and Dropbox, and is known for her expertise in product strategy and scaling teams.
🎙️ Episode Context
In this episode, JZ shares insights on evolving from Minimal Viable Products (MVP) to Minimal Lovable Products (MLP) and dissects common PM mistakes like solution-first thinking. She details her unique frameworks for narrative-driven roadmapping, setting qualitative OKRs, and structuring the first 90 days of leadership. JZ also candidly discusses the failure of Airbnb Plus and how to leverage core product strengths.
Problem It Solves
Prevents releasing products that are technically functional but fail to gain traction because they lack quality or delight in a competitive market.
Framework Overview
Instead of building a broad set of barely functional features (MVP), focus on a smaller scope executed with high quality and delight. In a world of abundant options, users expect 'lovable' experiences, not just viable ones.
🧠 Framework Structure
Narrow the scope: Do 5 things perfect...
Define 'Lovable': Understand the spec...
Add 'Pixie Dust': Invest in small, de...
Assess the Market: If replacing a spr...
When to Use
When launching a new feature in a crowded market or when user expectations for design/UX are high.
Common Mistakes
Confusing 'lovable' with 'feature-complete'. Trying to polish everything instead of focusing on the core differentiators.
Real World Example
At Webflow, adding keyboard shortcuts for power users was a form of 'pixie dust' that created lovability. Conversely, Airbnb mobile revamp added templates as a lovable layer.
Minimal lovable products is the new MVP... It's better to do five things instead of the 15 things in a really, really great way with a high degree of polish.
— Jiaona Zhang (JZ)