Test the Workaround Before You Build the Feature

A useful MVP can begin as a manual service, not another dashboard. If teams say approvals get stuck, first test whether a simpler handoff actually helps.

For one week, invite a few target users to try a lightweight prototype using their existing tools. Let them control each approval; observe where the handoff slows down, with their permission. Set one owner and a firm time limit. Don’t collect sensitive information you don’t need.

Keep going only if users choose to use the handoff again. If they like the idea but don’t return, revise the problem or stop before building more. The first trial should answer one question: does this remove a real obstacle in the work?