About this episode
How do you turn a great startup idea into a product customers actually want without wasting months of development time and burning through your budget?
In this episode of From Garage to Growth, Angelo Zanetti, CEO and co-founder of Elemental, breaks down the principles behind building a successful Minimum Viable Product (MVP). From deciding what features to include to avoiding common mistakes, Angelo shares a practical roadmap for founders looking to launch faster and validate their ideas with confidence.
What an MVP Really Is
Many founders misunderstand the purpose of an MVP.
Angelo explains the difference between a prototype, an MVP, and a fully featured product, and why your first version should focus on solving one core problem exceptionally well rather than trying to do everything at once.
Prioritising the Right Features
Not every feature deserves to make it into version one.
We explore the MoSCoW framework Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, and Won’t Have—and how it helps founders prioritise development, reduce unnecessary complexity, and stay focused on delivering real customer value.
Why Less Is More
One of the biggest mistakes founders make is building too much before speaking to customers.
Angelo explains why launching with a lean MVP allows startups to validate assumptions, collect meaningful user feedback, and iterate based on real customer behaviour instead of guesswork.
Building for the Long Term
Moving quickly shouldn’t mean sacrificing quality.
We discuss how startups can build an MVP that is fast to launch while still creating a strong technical foundation that can support future growth and avoid costly rebuilds later.
What Happens After Launch?
Launching your MVP is only the beginning.
Angelo shares how founders should measure product performance, analyse user behaviour, prioritise improvements, and continue refining their product to achieve product-market fit.
The Most Common MVP Mistakes
Drawing on years of experience building digital products, Angelo highlights the mistakes he sees founders make most often—from feature creep and unrealistic timelines to neglecting ongoing maintenance and product support.
Whether you’re preparing to launch your first startup or refining an existing product, this episode provides practical advice for building smarter, launching faster, and creating products that customers genuinely want.
About the Guest
Angelo Zanetti is the CEO and co-founder of Elemental, a product development company that helps startups and businesses design, build, and scale successful digital products.