mpp-evaluator

name	mpp-evaluator
description	Gives an honest, scored assessment of whether your product has crossed the Minimum Proud Product threshold. Uses 5 parallel scoring agents — one per criterion — then synthesizes into a composite score and the single most important gap to close. Use every 3–4 build cycles or before any major share/launch moment. Produces mpp-scorecard.md.
phase	compound
version	2.0.0

MPP Evaluator

What Is MPP?

Minimum Proud Product — the minimum version you'd be genuinely proud to show to someone you deeply respect. Not just functional. Not just shipped. Something where a user feels something.

You've hit MPP when:

• You'd be embarrassed not to show it to someone you admire
• At least one user has described it to someone else without being asked
• The product creates a feeling, not just a function
• There's evidence in the details that someone cared deeply

Quick Start

Human-First Response

Default: answer in chat first with Verdict, Do this now, and Details saved. Keep chat under 150 words unless asked; do not paste the full artifact. Write/update the requested .md file as the durable record for agents.

Say: "Evaluate my MPP" or "Run the MPP scorecard" or "Am I proud of this?"

Output: mpp-scorecard.md — five criteria scored by independent agents, composite score, one gap named.

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Parallel Execution

Five independent criteria. Five parallel agents. All five can be scored simultaneously — there's no dependency between them.

Before spawning agents, read:

• founder-context.md — current stage, north star, last MPP score
• cycles/ — the last 3 cycle records for behavioral evidence

Spawn these 5 agents simultaneously:

Agent 1 — Pride Scorer Reads: founder-context.md + last cycle + any demo/share mentions in cycles Task: Score the Pride Test (1–10): "Would the founder show this without apologizing?" Returns: Score + 2-sentence evidence statement + the specific thing blocking a higher score

Agent 2 — Recommendation Scorer Reads: founder-context.md + all cycles for mentions of sharing/referrals Task: Score the Recommendation Test (1–10): "Has any user described it to someone else unprompted?" Returns: Score + specific evidence (quotes from cycles if any, absence if none) + what would trigger sharing

Agent 3 — Emotion Scorer Reads: founder-context.md + cycle records for user behavior descriptions Task: Score the Emotion Test (1–10): "What do users feel after the core task?" Returns: Score + evidence from user feedback in cycles + what the product currently makes users feel vs. what it should

Agent 4 — Craft Scorer Reads: founder-context.md + any UX or design notes in cycles Task: Score the Craft Test (1–10): "Is there evidence someone cared about the details?" Returns: Score + specific gaps identified (error messages, empty states, copy quality) + 1 highest-leverage craft fix

Agent 5 — Grief Scorer Reads: founder-context.md + cycle records for retention and engagement signals Task: Score the Grief Test (1–10): "How would the best user react if this disappeared tomorrow?" Returns: Score + evidence (retention data, user quotes) + what would need to be true for a higher grief score

Wait for all 5 agents to return. The orchestrator (main agent) synthesizes.

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Synthesis (Orchestrator Only)

After all 5 scores return:

1. Calculate composite: Average of 5 criterion scores.

2. Find the gap: Which single criterion, if improved by 2+ points, would move the composite most? That's the gap to name.

3. Write mpp-scorecard.md (orchestrator is the only writer):

# MPP Scorecard — [YYYY-MM-DD]

## Scores
| Criterion | Score | Key Evidence |
|-----------|-------|-------------|
| Pride Test | [X]/10 | [Agent 1's evidence statement] |
| Recommendation Test | [X]/10 | [Agent 2's evidence statement] |
| Emotion Test | [X]/10 | [Agent 3's evidence statement] |
| Craft Test | [X]/10 | [Agent 4's evidence statement] |
| Grief Test | [X]/10 | [Agent 5's evidence statement] |

**Composite: [X.X]/10**

## Interpretation
[Score range interpretation — see criteria reference]

## What MPP Looks Like for [Your Product]
[Specific description of what THIS product needs to be to earn MPP — not generic]

## The One Gap
[The criterion holding back the score most + the specific fix]

## What Changes When You Close This Gap
[One sentence — what happens to the product and users if this gap closes]

4. Update founder-context.md: Set mpp-score to the new composite.

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The Five Criteria (Quick Reference)

For the deep criteria guide, see mpp-criteria.md.

Criterion	The Question	1–3	4–6	7–9	10
Pride	Show without apologizing?	Avoid showing	Show with caveats	Show without apology	Excited to share
Recommendation	Unprompted sharing?	None	1–2 instances	Regular pattern	Measurable word-of-mouth
Emotion	What users feel after core task?	Nothing	Mild satisfaction	Clear positive feeling	Delight
Craft	Evidence someone cared?	Rough, placeholder	Mostly functional	Details considered	Every touchpoint intentional
Grief	React if it disappeared?	Would shrug	Mild inconvenience	Genuinely frustrated	Devastated

Composite ≥ 7.0 = MPP achieved. Below 7.0: fix the lowest criterion first.

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Sequential Fallback (Codex / OpenCode)

If your agent doesn't support parallel subagents, run each criterion assessment in sequence:

1. Pride Test → score + evidence
2. Recommendation Test → score + evidence
3. Emotion Test → score + evidence
4. Craft Test → score + evidence
5. Grief Test → score + evidence
6. Synthesize → write mpp-scorecard.md

Same output. ~4× longer.

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Related Skills

• build-cycle uses this skill's criteria in Phase 3 (abbreviated in-cycle version)
• failure-navigator — if MPP score is flat across 3+ cycles, run this next
• co-founder (Partner phase) — uses MPP trajectory as a key health signal