Letterly MVP Definition (Draft v3)

MVP Definition

Purpose of This Document

This document defines a focused MVP for the March 20, 2026 beta launch. Its purpose is to align on who the MVP is for and what behavior we are testing, not to define the full Letterly vision.

This is a working draft and is expected to be corrected.

Note: Audience discovery happens before the MVP. Surveys and interviews are used to select the initial MVP audience. The MVP itself is designed to validate behavior within that selected audience, not to test multiple audiences simultaneously.

MVP Definition

For Letterly, MVP means the product is usable by beta users for one core communication use case. It does not require a full course library, perfect UX, or final pricing. This is a single end-to-end use case designed for validation-first learning, not the full Letterly ecosystem.

Target window: Late February 2026

MVP should be ready before the beta, so that beta users are testing something usable.

MVP is "usable." Beta is "testable."

MVP Goal

The MVP's goal is to validate whether two distinct audiences are willing to pay real money for short, live human practice sessions: non-English speakers working at U.S.-domiciled companies, and early-stage startup founders preparing for fundraising.

This is a validation-first MVP, not a platform build. The MVP must be “usable” before the March 20, 2026 beta launch, meaning beta users will be testing something functional, not just a prototype.

Success is measured by learning whether these audiences will pay for this experience, not by feature breadth or ecosystem completeness.

Target MVP Audience (Strawman)

The MVP targets two distinct audiences with high-stakes communication needs:

Primary Audience: Non-English speakers working at U.S.-domiciled companies who are professionally and technically strong, but whose communication limits credibility. These individuals face cultural mismatch challenges and need to improve workplace communication.

Secondary Audience: Early-stage startup founders who are getting to their first check and finding an angel. These founders need help with pitching and fundraising communication.

Both audiences share high motivation, clear stakes, and an immediate reason to practice speaking and communication skills. This dual-audience definition should be corrected if it does not reflect current demand.

Core Hypothesis

Two distinct but related hypotheses will be tested:

1. Non-English speakers at U.S. companies will pay for a hybrid experience (AI feedback + optional human practice) when it addresses communication barriers that limit their credibility despite technical and professional strength, focused on workplace communication.

2. Early-stage startup founders will pay for a hybrid experience (AI feedback + optional human practice) when it helps them improve their pitching and fundraising communication.

Both hypotheses test whether high-stakes professional communication scenarios drive willingness to pay for AI feedback and human practice. The hybrid approach allows us to test the value of both components. If validated, broader audiences and formats can be layered on later.

What This MVP Is Testing

The MVP is designed to answer three primary questions:

1. Will non-English speakers at U.S. companies choose to pay for AI feedback and optional human practice focused on workplace communication?

2. Will early-stage startup founders choose to pay for AI feedback and optional human practice focused on pitching and fundraising?

3. What is the relative value of AI feedback versus human practice sessions for each audience?

Secondary signals we will observe include token usage patterns, preferred session length, AI feedback usage rates, human practice session conversion rates, onboarding completion, content access patterns, and which audience segment shows stronger engagement.

What Is Explicitly In Scope

MUST HAVE

The MVP includes a single, narrow learning-to-practice loop that serves both audiences with one clear use case per audience working end-to-end.

One clear use case working end-to-end:

  • For non-English speakers at U.S. companies: workplace communication
  • For startup founders: pitching and fundraising

Users can:

  • Access content (instructional or framing content designed to prepare learners for their use case)
  • Receive AI feedback (even basic) on their communication practice
  • Understand next steps (clear guidance on what to do after receiving feedback)

Clear onboarding explaining:

  • What the product is
  • What it is not (beta)

Product stability for basic use (the MVP must be usable, not just testable).

Additional components:

  • A minimal amount of instructional or framing content designed to prepare learners for their specific use case. This content exists only to trigger practice behavior, not as a standalone offering.
  • AI feedback capability (even basic) that provides users with feedback on their communication.
  • Optional human practice sessions with a human coach focused on a professional outcome, with session types differentiated by audience need. These are available after AI feedback as an upgrade option.
  • Optional token-based system for scheduling human practice sessions. Users receive 100 tokens on signup, can earn tokens by completing practice sessions, and can purchase additional tokens when needed.
  • One simple scheduling flow (for human practice sessions).
  • Basic post-session feedback collection (for human practice sessions).

What Is Explicitly Out of Scope

  • K-12 students, cohort bootcamps, and long-form courses may continue separately but are not part of the MVP learning loop.
  • Subscription models, virtual currency, and marketplace optimization are intentionally excluded.
  • High-production video libraries and advanced analytics are deferred.
  • Complex audience segmentation or separate product experiences for each audience are deferred—the MVP serves both audiences through the same core flow with differentiated scenarios.

MAY HAVE (Not Required)

  • Polished UI (basic UI is sufficient for MVP usability)
  • Multiple courses (one use case per audience is sufficient)

Success Criteria

The MVP is successful if a meaningful portion of beta users from either or both audiences:

  • Complete onboarding
  • Access content for their use case
  • Receive and engage with AI feedback
  • (Optional) Complete at least one paid live practice session

Strong signals include:

  • Onboarding completion rates
  • Content access and engagement
  • AI feedback usage and perceived value
  • Conversion from AI feedback to human practice sessions
  • Repeat purchases (for human practice)
  • Token system engagement and purchase behavior
  • Feedback that clearly links the experience to increased confidence or readiness for real-world situations
  • Clear differentiation in engagement between the two audience segments

A lack of willingness to pay, a clear preference for AI-only tools, or low engagement with either component are all valid and valuable outcomes. Learning which audience segment (if any) shows stronger engagement and which components (AI feedback vs human practice) provide more value is equally valuable.

Guiding Principle

This MVP exists to reduce uncertainty around paid human practice for professional communication across two distinct but related audiences.

Every feature included must directly support learning whether these audiences will pay for this experience. Anything else should wait.

Reference: 2025-09-19 Product Roadmap — documents the core problem this MVP addresses.

Related Views

Try the Beta App

Experience the full MVP learning-to-practice loop

Experience It

Interactive mockups showing the user story in practice

Investor Summary

One-page investor-safe MVP summary

Beta User Story

Plain language story for the website

Why This Audience First

Rationale to preempt objections

Roadmap

Decision tree: Tier 1 and Tier 3 after MVP

This is a working draft on Jan 8, 2026 and is expected to be corrected.