SHORT{snippets}: Key Pitfalls to Avoid When Building a 0-to-1 Product

When building a 0-to-1 product, the journey from concept to launch can be exciting but also filled with pitfalls. Here are some critical “don’ts” to keep in mind as a Product Manager:

Don’t Skip Business Validation

A product without a solid business case risks losing stakeholder buy-in or failing to meet ROI expectations. Avoid jumping into discovery without validating the market potential and financial viability.

For example: for one of my projects, securing funding was contingent on clearly articulating the value it would deliver and the associated ROI it could generate.

Don’t Ignore the User Problem

Focus on a thorough discovery phase, gathering insights from users to ensure you’re solving a problem that matters. Avoid building for technology’s sake or chasing trends without a clear sense of the specific user pain points you’re addressing.

For example: in one of my projects, I inherited a solution where the Discovery phase had been completely unpacked before I took over. While it addressed short-term needs, it was not fit for purpose in terms of scalability or aligning with broader business requirements. To mitigate risks, we delivered Phase 1 to address immediate priorities, but then revisited the foundation to re-engineer the solution for reusability and scalability. This approach ultimately delivered significant operational efficiencies and substantial cost savings.

Don’t Overload the MVP

Focus on the core functionality that directly addresses the primary user need and validates the product’s value proposition and hypothesis. Iterate and expand based on real feedback. Avoid the temptation to add multiple features to increase its appeal, but in the process delay launch and dilute focus.

For example: I cannot emphasise this enough — nearly all my projects have followed a structured approach, except for one where a big-bang deployment was unavoidable. While it led to significant tech debt, it was a challenge we effectively managed, though it reinforced the importance of a more iterative approach.

Don’t Neglect Cross-Functional Collaboration

Engage all stakeholders early and maintain regular collaboration to ensure everyone is aligned. Avoid working in silos or making decisions without input from your cross-functional teams (engineering, design, marketing, and business teams).

Don’t Underestimate Competitive Landscape

Invest time in understanding the unique regulatory, technical, or competitive challenges. Understanding the competitive Landscape helps you identify gaps in your solution, differentiate effectively, and avoid redundancies.

Don’t Rely on Assumptions Over Data

An open mind toward user insights can prevent tunnel vision, allowing you to adjust direction early on based on critical real-world feedback. Avoid building the product based solely on untested beliefs.

For example: in developing multiple fintech products, we consistently implemented a thorough research and discovery phase to validate hypotheses and define a well-informed, value-driven feature set.

Don’t Forget to Define Success Metrics Early

It’s crucial to establish clear metrics for success from the beginning, as they guide decision-making and offer benchmarks for evaluating progress. It also helps with keeping the team and stakeholders focused and motivated.

For example: We have always captured success metrics as part of our Discovery and Definition phase. This is essential to evaluate the success of our efforts as well as identify any course corrections needed to stay on track and achieve our goals.