Find Your Why with MVP: Minimum Viable Passion

Helping ambitious people discover their path when they don't know where to start

"I want to succeed, maybe even start a business - but I have no idea what to do or where to begin."

Sound familiar? I've lost count of how many times I've heard this in entrepreneur groups, coffee meetings, and late-night conversations with ambitious individuals. Whether you're still in college or a seasoned professional considering a pivot, this challenge is more common than you might think.

The Wrong Starting Point

Most people approach this dilemma by asking the wrong questions:

• "What skills do I have?"

• "What can make me the most money?"

• "What's trending in the market right now?"

While these questions have their place, starting here is like trying to build a house without a foundation. You might construct something, but it won't stand the test of time - or bring you lasting satisfaction.

The Critical First Question: What's Your Why?

Before diving into skills or market opportunities, there's a fundamental question that must come first: What's your vision? What's the "why" that drives you?

This might sound abstract, especially if you're young and haven't "tried many things in the real world yet." But here's the thing - even if you can't clearly articulate your "yes," you almost always know your "no." Those things that make your skin crawl, that go against your core values, that drain your energy - these are clear indicators pointing you in the right direction.

Learning from Product Development: The MVP Approach

In the business world, especially in product companies, we have a powerful concept called MVP - Minimum Viable Product. It's the smallest version of a product you can build to test a hypothesis about:

• The problem you're trying to solve

• The solution you're offering

• The business model that will sustain it

Real-World MVP Examples:

Airbnb's First MVP: Two air mattresses and a simple website. Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia didn't build a full-featured platform. They just wanted to test if people would rent air space in their apartment.

Dropbox's MVP: A simple video showing file syncing, not even a working product. Drew Houston created a mockup video to gauge interest before building the actual technology.

Instagram's MVP: Originally called "Burbn," it was a cluttered check-in app. The founders stripped away everything except photo-sharing and filters - the core feature users actually wanted.

Introducing MVP: Minimum Viable Passion

Just as successful products start with MVPs, finding your path should begin with testing different domains, roles, and experiences with minimum investment. Here's how to apply this to your personal journey:

Examples from the YourMarket.Fit Approach:

The Teaching Test: Someone dreaming of opening an educational startup might volunteer to teach one class at a local community center. In just three sessions, they could discover whether they love curriculum design but find standing in front of a class draining, leading them to pivot toward educational content creation instead.

The Food Business Test: Someone thinking about opening a restaurant might start with a weekend food stall at local markets. They could quickly learn whether they hate the early mornings and physical demands but love the creative process of menu development, leading them to consider launching a meal planning app instead.

My Personal MVP: Those coffee meetings I mentioned in my keynote? Each conversation was an MVP - testing my hypothesis about what value I could offer others. After 60 meetings, the pattern became clear: people weren't asking for business advice; they were seeking help finding their "why" and making it happen.

How to Build Your Own Passion MVP

1. Start Small: Choose one area of interest and commit to a minimal engagement - shadow someone for a day, volunteer for a single event, or take on a small project.

2. Track Your Energy: Pay attention to what drains you and what energizes you during the experience. Create an "energy audit" before, during, and after (read more about this here)

3. Notice Your Natural Curiosities: What questions are you asking? What problems are you naturally trying to solve? What keeps you engaged past normal working hours?

4. Iterate Quickly: Just like product MVPs, don't get attached to your first attempt. Be ready to pivot based on what you learn.

5. Look for Patterns: After 3-5 different MVPs, step back and look for themes. What consistently lights you up? What consistently drains you?

Moving Beyond "What Can Make Me Money"

The beautiful thing about this approach is that it naturally leads you toward sustainable success. When you discover work that aligns with your why, the money often follows - not the other way around.

As I learned through my own journey from art to tech to YourMarket.Fit, the most fulfilling path isn't always the most obvious one. Sometimes it's found in the unexpected connections between your various experiences and passions.

Your Next Step

Stop waiting for the perfect clarity about your path. Start with imperfect action. Pick one area that intrigues you, design your MVP, and commit to testing it for a specific period.

Remember: The goal isn't to find the one perfect answer immediately. It's to start gathering data about what energizes you, what aligns with your values, and where you can create the most value for others.

Your passion won't reveal itself through endless analysis or planning. It emerges through doing, testing, and reflecting.

So, what's your first Minimum Viable Passion going to be?

Ready to discover your Personal Market Fit?