What's the simplest thing that will work?

That is a helpful product development question I learned to ask a long time ago, when I consulted for a company called Well Engaged, a software-only spinoff from The Well during the Bruce Katz years.

On Venture Hacks (an interesting blog), there's a nice transcript and narrated slideshow of The Minimum Viable Product, which is another way of saying the same thing (at least I think they're the same).

BTW, the interviewee, Eric Ries, has a great blog called Lessons Learned, where he has his own take on the interview.

Evidently, there is a Part II to follow...