The document discusses the concept of a "Minimum Viable Replacement" (MVR), a framework for retiring old products and replacing them with new technology. An MVR is designed to replace an existing solution for existing customers while moving everyone off legacy systems. The key focus of an MVR is avoiding breakage and losing existing capabilities and customers, unlike a Minimum Viable Product which aims to acquire new customers. Successfully executing an MVR is complex, as it requires developing multiple MVPs to meet the needs of all customer segments, including customizations. It is important to balance meeting existing customer needs while serving new markets.

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©Kevin J Mireles @kevinjmireles
Kevin J Mireles
kevin@kevinmireles.com
www.DontMakeMeWork.com
Minimum Viable Replacement
A New Framework for Retiring Old
Products
If you are leading a digital transformation initiative, working to retire systems as part
of a merger and integration project, or sunsetting a legacy product, and lack a clear
path forward, then take five minutes to learn how from someone who has been
there and done that in startups & on multimillion dollar global projects

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If you are an older company, most of the time
you are enhancing and replacing existing
systems, not developing entirely new capabilities
Minimum Viable
Product
New form factor delivering
new capabilities to a new
audience
Minimum Viable
Replacement
New technology designed to replace
existing solution for your existing
customers with the goal of moving
everyone off of legacy systems and
retiring your prior offerings
© 2021 Kevin J Mireles kevin@kevinmireles.com

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The biggest competitors for a minimum viable
replacement are the previous versions of the product
Minimum Viable Product
• Providing entirely new solutions to an
underserved audience
• Need to prove that “product” is
valuable to customers and company
Minimum Viable Replacement
• Providing similar form factor/ but
powered by different underlying
architecture to an existing audience
• Product value already proven, need to
prove new version is better than the old
version and worth upgrading to
© 2021 Kevin J Mireles kevin@kevinmireles.com

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© 2021 Kevin J Mireles kevin@kevinmireles.com
The goal of an MVP is to attract new customers to your
offering
MVP Focus
Acquire new
customers

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© 2021 Kevin J Mireles kevin@kevinmireles.com
Avoiding breakage, i.e. losing existing capabilities and
customers, is the primary goal for an MVR
MVR Focus
Avoid Breakage 1st
Acquire new
customers 2nd

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MVP

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Minimum Viable Product = Hypothesis that a
certain minimum level of functionality is enough
to meet a specific market need
Market segment A
Market segment B
Market segment C
Market segment D
Market segment E
Market segment F
Market segment G
Segment Revenue Opportunity
Simplest
to
most
complex
Smallest
to
largest
MVP A

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© 2021 Kevin J Mireles kevin@kevinmireles.com

9. MVP G
MVP F
MVP E
MVP D
MVP C
MVP B
9
Minimum Viable Replacement = Sum total of
all the MVPs required to meet all customer
needs required to transition existing customers
and retire existing system
Customer segment A
Customer segment B
Customer segment C
Customer segment D
Customer segment E
CustomersegmentF
Customer segment G
Segment Revenue Opportunity
Simplest
to
most
complex
Smallest
to
largest
MVP A

10. Minimum Viable Replacement
MVP G
MVP F
MVP E
MVP D
MVP C
MVP B
10
Plus any additional enhancements/ inducements
required to get stakeholders and customers to
change and adopt new systems and processes
MVP A Customer segment A
Customer segment B
Customer segment C
Customer segment D
Customer segment E
CustomersegmentF
Customer segment G
Segment Revenue Opportunity
Simplest
to
most
complex
Smallest
to
largest

11. Minimum Viable Replacement
MVP G 1,2,3,4, 5,6,7, 8, etc.
MVP F
MVP E
MVP D
MVP C
MVP B
11
And if individual customers are large enough to
have customer-specific requirements, then an
MVP/MVR has to be developed for each customer
MVP A Customer segment A
Customer segment B
Customer segment C
Customer segment D
Customer segment E
CustomersegmentF
Customer segment G
Segment Revenue Opportunity
Simplest
to
most
complex
Smallest
to
largest

12. Minimum Viable Replacement
MVP G 1,2,3,4, 5,6,7, 8, etc.
MVP F
MVP E
MVP D
MVP C
MVP B
12
The more customizations and changes required by
internal and external stakeholders, the more difficult the
migration will be
MVP A Customer segment A
Customer segment B
Customer segment C
Customer segment D
Customer segment E
CustomersegmentF
Customer segment G
Segment Revenue Opportunity
Simplest
to
most
complex
Smallest
to
largest

13. Minimum Viable Replacement
MVP G
MVP F
MVP E
MVP D
MVPC
MVP B
MVP A
13
Since you are dealing with icebergs, you often
have no idea what is required for each MVP
Customer segment A
Customer segment B
Customer segment C
Customer segment D
Customer segment E
CustomersegmentF
Segment Revenue Opportunity
Simplest
to
most
complex
Smallest
to
largest
Customer segment G

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Traditional UX guidelines espouse focusing on the 20%
of the scenarios that meet 80% of your customer needs
For an MVP, it makes
sense to focus on the
20% of the capabilities
that meet the needs of the
majority

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For an MVR focus on
the one percent that
drives the 40- 60% of
your revenue or impact
and 80% of your
complexity

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The 1% have such vastly different requirements from the
other 99% that trying to transform a system designed for
everyone else is almost impossible

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Design & Architect for the 1% while
delivering for the 80% first.
Identify the business and
scalability requirements for
the largest, most complex
customers first
But deliver simpler solutions
that meet the needs of your
less complex customers first
so you can deliver value to
market sooner while building
more complex solutions for
later delivery
Design 1st
Build 1st
Build 1st

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Or develop entirely different systems to meet the
very different needs
Standard designs &
features for the 99%
Custom solutions for
the 1%
Shared Infrastructure
whenever possible

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While avoiding customer breakage is key, you
have to balance the desire to meet your existing
customers’ needs with the opportunity to serve
new market segments with different functionality
A Bird in the Hand? Two in the Bush
Someone is always going to be unhappy, the question is who, what
are the consequences and which tradeoffs are you willing to make?
or

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Ultimately, successfully executing a Minimum Viable Replacement is a
lot like trying to get to the other side of a mountain range without a
detailed map, not impossible but much more difficult than your
management expects, so good luck and god speed!
– Kevin Mireles
©Kevin J Mireles @kevinjmireles

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Visit www.DontMakeMeWork.com to read more about
Minimum Viable Replacements or email
Kevin@kevinmireles.com or connect with me on Linkedin!
Thanks! Kevin Mireles
©Kevin J Mireles @kevinjmireles