Then → Now · 2026
The "SCL" concept the post introduced, misspelled, became a standard counter-framework to the MVP, spelled SLC.
What it said (2017) ↓
From a Bits & Pretzels talk by Lars Jankowfsky (NFQ): MVPs often aren't viable; Jason Cohen's "SCL" (Simple, Complete, Lovable) is better.
Three routes to "lovable": elegant UX, fulfilling a need, and company attitude and culture.
What happened (2026) ↓
Cohen's acronym is SLC (Simple, Lovable, Complete); the post has it as "SCL". The idea became a common alternative framing to MVP. A Smart Bear · Sourcetoad
Bits & Pretzels is bigger than ever: 7,500 attendees in 2025, a 2026 edition held, and 2027 dates announced. Munich Startup · bitsandpretzels.com
Verdict · Held up: 8 / 10 · Full 2026 update
- Startups should build simple, complete and lovable products instead of MVPs that often aren't viable.Still valid more mainstream now
- Kickstarter and Indiegogo projects that stay transparent keep their backers' goodwill through delays.Still valid
Original post · 20 October 2017
Last month I attended a session at Bits & Pretzels. Lars Jankowfsky, General Partner at NFQ and founding CTO of various big companies, was talking about how to succeed as a startup with a Minimum Viable Product - an MVP. One thing that really resonated with me, was that your product and your company should be 'lovable'. But how do you make that happen..? This idea of your company and product being lovable was actually not his but came from 'A Smart Bear' blog by Jason Cohen. He claims that consumers often dislike MVPs because usually they are not 'viable' at all. Instead, he introduced the idea of 'SCL'. Simple. Complete. Lovable. The first speaks for itself: no need for countless options and varieties, just one simple version. Complete also makes sense: make it simple, but make it complete enough so that it works. But what about lovable...? According to Lars, there are 3 ways to make your customers fall in love with you. In my opinion, you'll need a bit of all.Elegant UX with Delightful UI
A beautiful design that just works goes a long way. Think about it; when you download a new app out of curiosity, but you don't intuitively understand how it works, how long will you keep trying before you dismiss it and delete it from your phone? Not very long, I bet. On the other hand, when you see a product for the first time, it looks nice and you instantly understand how to use it, chances are that you'll use it many more times to come. People are getting busier (or lazier?) and we don't have the patience anymore to just figure things out if there's not a big need for it. If a new holiday-app isn't intuitive, we'll keep using the old one. If a new social network doesn't make sense, we'll go back to Facebook. So you have to make sure that with one look, people understand what they need to do in order to get the results they are looking for and that the experience is flawless.Fulfilling a Need
Another way to get people to love your product is by giving them something they really need. When you provide a solution to some of their challenges, it matters a lot less how slick it looks, how fast it works or when they need to spend more time to figure things out. If it solves a serious problem, they'll love it no matter what.Your Company's Attitude & Culture
But what else matters..? You matter! Together with the rest of your team and everything you do and stand for, you show your company's attitude and it can make all the difference. A good example of this are crowdfunding projects on websites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter. It is quite common that new projects on there may have months and months of delay. People have already pre-ordered the product and paid for it. The companies that barely maintain a relationship with their backers are the ones that will get lots of complaints and money-back requests. However, the companies that are being very transparent, that show the people behind the team, including their personalities, are the ones that get all the good-will and even with 8 months of delay, they still have a group of raving fans behind them. A couple of tips on how to show your company's attitude and culture:- Share videos; not only of your product but also behind-the-scenes, team activities and other more personal things. Bonus points if you try a live video!
- A company blog; use it to share updates and be very transparent in them.
- Take the time to reply to everything; with every nice thing that is being said about you or to you, take your time to show your appreciation. Especially in your early stage, these early fans are your most important ambassadors.
2026 update
What happened after this was written
Claims then:
- From a Bits & Pretzels talk by Lars Jankowfsky (NFQ): MVPs often aren't viable; Jason Cohen's "SCL" (Simple, Complete, Lovable) is better.
- Three routes to "lovable": elegant UX, fulfilling a need, and company attitude and culture.
- Kickstarter and Indiegogo projects that stay transparent keep backers' goodwill through delays.
- Share behind-the-scenes video ("try a live video!"), keep a company blog, and reply to everything.
What happened since:
- Cohen's acronym is SLC (Simple, Lovable, Complete); the post has it as "SCL". The idea became a common alternative framing to MVP. A Smart Bear · Sourcetoad
- Bits & Pretzels is bigger than ever: 7,500 attendees in 2025, a 2026 edition held, and 2027 dates announced. Munich Startup · bitsandpretzels.com
- Pebble, the textbook crowdfunding darling, shows how far backer loyalty goes. Google open-sourced PebbleOS in January 2025, and the founder's new company, Core Devices, has reportedly shipped new Pebble watches (not confirmed by the cited source, which predates any shipping). Hackaday, 2025-01-28
Named tools/orgs status:
| Name | Then | Now | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bits & Pretzels | Munich founders festival | Active, ~7,500 attendees in 2025 | Munich Startup |
| A Smart Bear / SLC | New concept (2017) | Widely cited | Sourcetoad |
| Kickstarter / Indiegogo | Crowdfunding examples | Active (not re-checked in depth) | — |
| NFQ | Speaker's firm | unverified | — |
Verdict: SLC and the "lovable" argument: Still valid (evergreen), and more mainstream now. Transparency with backers: Still valid.
Headline finding: The "SCL" concept the post introduced, misspelled, became a standard counter-framework to the MVP, spelled SLC.
Re-verified 3 November 2026: 2 claims confirmed, 1 corrected, 1 hedged, 0 removed.
Researched 30 September 2026 and re-verified against the sources on 3 November 2026. Sources are linked in each point. Items marked "unverified" could not be established and are not guessed.