Stop Waiting for Perfect: Launch a Minimum Viable Academy in 90 Days
Reduce the fear of scope creep and perfectionism. Focus on speed to value.
Too many education programs stall before they even begin. It’s not that the vision isn’t clear, but the work to get there feels overwhelming. You want the perfect platform, flawless content, and full stakeholder buy-in. So you plan, you wait, you tweak… and meanwhile, your customers are still confused, your support tickets keep rising, and your product adoption lags.
Here’s the truth: you don’t need a perfect academy. You need a live one.
A minimum viable academy (MVA) delivers just enough structure and targeted content to start driving results, fast. It’s not the final version; it’s the strategic starting point. And with the right focus, you can launch yours in just 90 days.
Why a Minimum Viable Academy?
Think of your MVA as an MVP for your customer education function. It’s designed to:
Prove value quickly to leadership
Reduce onboarding time or support volume
Create a learning loop with your customers
Build internal momentum without the need for a massive budget
Waiting for perfection doesn’t just delay benefits. It actively costs your business. Confused customers churn. Support teams waste time answering the same questions. Your team spins in circles developing content before there’s a scalable delivery strategy. And your competitors? They’re already investing in education.
What an MVA is NOT
An MVA is not the same as offering disjointed, un-targeted content simply because it already exists. This is where many teams go astray with the idea of “done is better than perfect.” With education, success is dependent on the quality of the learning. That means, if your customers aren’t actually meeting the right objectives that will drive meaningful behaviors, then you’re missing the mark on the point and value of education.
The goal is not just to get content out there, but to instead focus on specific outcomes and target your learning to achieve them.
What Your 90-Day MVA Could Look Like
You don’t need to cover every product in your suite or integrate an expensive LMS to get started. Here’s what an MVA might include:
✅ A targeted learning experience covering high-impact objectives
✅ A branded learning platform that directs learners to engage in the path
✅ A direct connection between learning goals and business metrics
That’s it. You’re live. You're delivering value.
The 90-Day Launch Plan
Month 1: Scope + Strategy
Identify a key business opportunity that education can impact (think onboarding, product adoption, or market penetration)
Identify the target audience’s needs and goals
Draft the curriculum that includes measurable outcomes
Month 2: Build + Brand
Create the look and feel of your branded academy
Develop and test your first few lessons
Align internal teams on how and when to promote the academy
Month 3: Launch + Learn
Soft launch to a pilot group or internal employees
Gather usage data and qualitative feedback
Prepare a 2-slide update to show early impact (Check out the Echtus measurement framework)
Speed to Value = Speed to Buy-In
When you launch fast, you’re able to both help your customers sooner and give your internal stakeholders something real to rally behind.
They stop asking “Why do we need this?” and start asking “What do you need next?”
What’s at Stake if You Delay?
If you’re waiting for a bigger budget, more time, or perfect alignment, here’s what you’re risking:
Customers who never unlock value from your product
A support team drowning in repeat questions
Churn you can’t trace—but could have prevented
Budget owners who never see proof of education’s value
Inaction has a cost. A minimum viable academy pays for itself in insight, efficiency, and momentum.
Final Word: Faster Launch = Faster Growth
You’re not just launching content. You’re launching confidence: yours, your team’s, and your customers’.
But you don’t have to do it alone. At Echtus, we specialize in building Minimum Viable Academies that deliver real business results. From strategy to content to hosting, we handle the end-to-end development so you can go live in 90 days with zero guesswork and total confidence.
While you’re still planning, your competitors are already educating. Let’s build something that works, today.