Today, Mike is joined by Ali Hafizji, CEO of Wednesday Solutions and the creator of the Wide Sprints method. Together he and Mike explore how founders can avoid the post-MVP trap of building blindly and wasting precious runway. Ali shares how to measure true progress through validated learning and why polishing your MVP can be a costly mistake.
They discuss the power of AI-native teams and how to shift from chasing vanity metrics to pursuing actionable business outcomes. Ali also recommends AI tools that will transform your software development and shares rapid experimentation methods.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
● Velocity is not progress if you are tearing off in the wrong direction.
● At some point, founders need to stop building and focus on marketing, sales, fundraising and actually observing and talking to users – really know your users.
● 3 people AI native pods can run 10 times more validations per sprint.
● AI enables you to use wide sprints, each of which is driven by a business metric.
● Tech development is teetering on the edge of a precipice that will drive the use of AI.
● AI tools are a very fast way to prototype.
● Experienced developers need to be more open to using AI.
● We are reaching the point where writing PRDs is pointless.
● Polishing MVPs is a bad idea. Instead, use the recommended tools to build prototypes that test real behaviour.
BEST MOMENTS
1:30 "Speed without direction is effectively a mistake. It's a trap."
4:15 “Mastering tech growth is about learning to build scalable systems and teams and also changing yourself at the same pace without breaking anything."
6:52 "Velocity has two parts to it. It's a vector, so one part of it is direction, the other part is speed."
13:35 "He spent about 250k on this product, and the only person using that product in the world was him."
18:08 "Be okay to not do anything unless you have a reason to."
37.35 “It validates and builds at the same time. The same team can do both. It’s about complementing current agile practices.”
46:33 "Clients, as long as they use the tool and it works, they're happy to pay. And what's behind it... doesn't really matter at the end of the day."
51:59 "I think the change will not come from businesses. I think it's going to come from people."
1:05:36 "For retention rates, there are three metrics that you need to look at: day one, day seven and day 30 after every release."
If you enjoyed the show, please do me a favour - Hit that subscribe button and send me your growth challenges at https://masteringtechgrowth.com . I really want to know what you're working on and what keeps you up at night.
ABOUT THE GUEST
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alihafizji
ABOUT THE HOST
Meet Mike, a seasoned tech entrepreneur and visionary with over two and a half decades of invaluable experience in founding and scaling successful tech start-ups. Mike brings a wealth of firsthand knowledge, and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs and tech professionals.
As a host, Mike is dedicated to sharing actionable insights, strategies, and stories gathered from conversations with industry leaders, innovators, and experts. With a remarkable ability to distil practical wisdom from guests, Mike curates engaging discussions that resonate with both aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned professionals.
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media....
