Choose the core task your first release needs to support.
Choose one core problem
A useful first release solves a specific problem for a specific group of people. Describe that problem in plain language before listing features.
A booking product, for example, might start by letting a customer choose a time and receive confirmation. Features such as loyalty rewards can wait until the booking process works.
Map the essential journey
Walk through how a person discovers, uses, and gets value from the product. Build the smallest complete journey that delivers that value.
Include sign-in, missing information, errors and confirmation. A first release still needs to handle the ordinary cases around its main task.
Test the experience early
Use prototypes to explore the important flows before development. Watch for confusing steps and missing information, and refine the direction with feedback.
Ask someone to complete the task without explaining each screen. Notice where they hesitate, what they expect to happen and whether the interface gives them enough information.
Learn before expanding
Agree on what you want to learn from the first release. Use real feedback and observed problems to choose the next improvements.
Choose a few questions the release should answer: can people finish the task, where do they stop, and what does your team have to handle manually? Use those findings to plan the next version.
Bring this to your first conversation
Your main goal, an example of the current problem, your essential requirements, and the constraints that shape the project.
