Build It to Last—Or Prepare to Explain

Why MVPs fail in low-trust markets—and why your African innovation needs a Minimum Trustworthy Product (MTP) instead.

Startups in Africa don’t fail because they lack features. They fail because they lack trust. In this article, I reframe MVP thinking for African realities—and introduces the Minimum Trustworthy Product (MTP) as a better way to build.

The Problem

You’ve launched the product.
The UI is elegant. The pitch deck is clean. The MVP is live.
But… nothing’s happening.

Users aren’t converting.
Partners aren’t replying.
Investors keep asking the same unsettling question:
“Who else is using it?”

You double down.
Fix the landing page. Sweeten the pricing.
Still, silence.

What’s the real problem?

It’s not usability.
It’s not marketing.
It’s trust.

Why the MVP Model Doesn’t Travel Well

In Silicon Valley, startups are encouraged to launch MVPs—Minimum Viable Products—as quickly and cheaply as possible.
Test fast. Fail fast. Iterate fast.

But in low-trust environments like Nigeria, this approach often backfires.

Here, people don’t assume your intentions are good.
They assume you’re a scam—until proven otherwise.

We’re building in a country where “419” is global shorthand for fraud.
So when you launch scrappy, people don’t think:
“Oh, they’re being lean.”
They think:
“Oh, they’re not legit.”

The MVP model, in its classic Western form, depends on high-trust infrastructure:

• Credit systems that protect consumers
• Legal systems that prosecute fraud
• Cultural systems that forgive experimentation

Most African markets don’t have those guardrails.
So users protect themselves—by avoiding you altogether.

From MVP to MTP: The Minimum Trustworthy Product

It’s time for a new frame.
In Africa, you don’t need an MVP.
You need an MTP: Minimum Trustworthy Product.

An MTP doesn’t just prove functionality.
It proves credibility.

It answers the real questions in the user’s mind:

• Can I trust this?
• Will it be here tomorrow?
• Who else believes in it?
• Does this look and feel safe?
  

And if you can’t answer those…

Prepare to explain why no one’s showing up.

Why Legitimacy Must Precede Scalability

In the West, scalability is the secret sauce.

In Africa, it must be legitimacy.

If you skip that step, no amount of virality or funding will save you.

Because in a low-trust environment, even the best-built product feels like a gamble.
And people don’t gamble with their time, money, or identity—not when survival is at stake.

How We Built an MTP at Kleos

At Kleos Advisory, my digital education and advisory platform, we applied this principle from Day 1. Here’s how:

1. Community Launch

We didn’t go solo.
We launched with the support of the Lagos Business School network—alumni, faculty, and advisors.
This gave us instant social proof.

2. Recognition

We positioned for visibility—not virality.
Kleos received nominations and awards from the Centre for Global Enterprise, the global Association of MBAs, the US-based academic honors society Beta Gamma Sigma, and other credible bodies.
That wasn’t vanity. It was validation.

3. Partnerships

We aligned with known institutions.
Our collaboration with Access Bank signaled trustworthiness.
If a bank could back us, users felt safer trying us.

The Results:

• 3x faster enrollment conversion
• A global network of consulting talent
• Inbound requests from corporates and institutions for co-branded programs
  

We didn’t go viral.
We went credible.
And that made all the difference.

Companies Doing This Well

We’re not alone in this shift.

• TymeBank invested in UX, cloud security, and a sleek onboarding experience to signal reliability.
• Cowrywise prioritized user education and regulation from the start—building savings trust among first-time investors.
• Flutterwave emphasized branding, founder visibility, and international licensing to calm fears about cross-border payments.
  

These aren’t surface decisions. They’re strategic trust investments.

Overcoming Barriers to Building Trust

If you’re thinking “but we’re too early for all that,” here are five quick re-frames:

1. “We can’t afford this yet.” You can’t afford not to. Focus on affordable signals: branded email, secure signup, transparency.
2. “We’re just testing.” Test privately. When you go public, look ready.
3. “We’ll fix it after traction.” No traction is coming without credibility first.
4. “We’re not well-known.”
   Start with known people—advisors, alumni, mentors. Borrow trust.
5. “It takes too much time.”
   Yes. But trust built once can be scaled forever. Speed doesn’t scale if no one shows up.

How to Know if You Have a Trust Problem

Ask yourself:

• Would you trust this product if you saw it on Instagram for the first time?
• Would your parents use it?
• Would a journalist feature it?

If your gut says no—start here:

First Steps to Building an MTP

• Build a clean, branded landing page.
• List real humans (with photos) on your team page.
• Use branded emails, not Gmail.
• Invest in simple but secure onboarding.
• Partner with one known institution, even if small.
  

Conclusion

You think you need to move fast and break things.

But in Africa, moving fast without trust just breaks you.

Build it to last—or prepare to explain.

Because when you build with credibility,
you don’t need to chase traction.

Traction finds you.

Ready to Build with Trust?

Most startups launch with speed.
But in Africa, what earns loyalty is credibility.

If this article resonated, you’re likely building something worth believing in.
Don’t just test viability—prove legitimacy.

Download the Minimum Trustworthy Product (MTP) Toolkit with customizable templates to help you launch with confidence.
Delivered within 48 hours of confirmation.

Because when trust is your foundation,
traction becomes your reward.

Want to learn how to build legitimacy-first startups?

Join the INSEAF waitlist Discover the 7 pillars of institutional entrepreneurship—and how to build startups that scale by earning trust first.