This is pretty fascinating.

Recently, I came across an article with a bombshell title: “The MVP Is Dead. Long Live The MLP.” My first thought? Here we go again with another buzzword. But after some reflection, it’s clear: in the AI era, product development logic is shifting.

MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is a term beaten to death in the startup world. Fast validation, iterative improvements—sound familiar? But here’s the catch: AI has redefined “fast.” What used to take two weeks to prototype might now take two hours. “Viable” used to be enough; now, users demand “lovable.” That’s the essence of MLP (Minimum Lovable Product)—don’t just hand them a functional shell, make them fall in love at first sight.

Why does this matter?

First, speed is no longer the same. AI writes code, AI designs, AI generates content—”unthinkable speed” isn’t just hype. While you’re still agonizing over your MVP’s feature list, competitors might already launch an MLP with emotional interaction baked in.

Second, user expectations have changed. ChatGPT has spoiled everyone. A “functional” button? No one cares anymore. Now, it’s all about the “vibe”—that intangible but addictive experience. The article mentions “Vibe Coding,” which captures this perfectly—code shouldn’t just work; it needs soul.

But here’s the catch:

MLP sounds great in theory, but execution feels like black magic. How do you quantify “lovable”? How do you test “vibe”? MVP at least had a checklist; MLP feels like betting on intuition.

And while speed has increased, direction is harder to control. AI can spit out ten versions in a day, but which one’s right? Slower iterations used to force clarity. Now, it’s easy to spiral into meaningless tweaks.

The business implications are wild:

Small companies have a shot. Previously outgunned by big players’ resources, AI tools now level the playing field. “Purpose-Built Products At Unthinkable Speed”—niche solutions tailored for specific scenarios can emerge overnight. Big companies, bogged down by bureaucracy, might actually lose ground.

But the risks are higher, too. MLP requires striking the right emotional chord. If the vibe’s off, those 100 AI-generated versions are just noise.

One last gripe:

The jargon never ends. Just as we’re getting our heads around MVP, here comes MLP. What’s next—”Maximum Vibe Product”? (Laugh.) But seriously, labels aside, the takeaway is this: in the AI era, “viability” is no longer an excuse. Users don’t just want “functional”; they want “holy crap, this thing gets me.”

As for Vibe Coding? Maybe it’s just a gimmick. But the underlying trend is real: code is evolving from a tool to a “conversationalist.” Tomorrow’s programmers might compete not on how fast they write if-else statements, but on whether their AI can produce code with warmth.

Kinda terrifying when you think about it.