If you’re receiving this, it’s because we’ve crossed paths — or because I admire the work you’re doing to create community impact, whether through climate resilience, mobility, economic development, or urban innovation.

Nader Afzalan, Ph.D.

Founder and CEO, The Triangle

Endowed Chair of Social Justice & Visiting Professor, University of California Berkeley

What Are We Actually Trying to Do Here?

Have you ever sat through a project meeting and thought: What are we actually trying to do here?

Have you been part of a program where the purpose felt a bit blurry, where no one could quite define success in concrete terms?

You are not alone — these moments are pretty common.

We often get stuck in a cycle of planning, re-planning, and waiting for perfect alignment before we act. But what if we started clarifying the end goals sooner? That’s the spirit behind the Minimum Viable Outcome (MVO).

How can a Minimum Viable Outcome (MVO) help you get unstuck?

The Minimum Viable Outcome (MVO) is the smallest, clearest version of success that you and your partners can agree on. It’s a doable outcome that:

• Reflects your overall goal

• Can be measured without too much resources

• Builds momentum

MVO is not the whole solution. But it’s something real, delivered now, that puts you on the path to bigger wins.

Why MVO Matters

We face urgent challenges that require more housing, more clean energy, more infrastructure — and we need to act now. That requires a shift from process obsession to outcome obsession.

MVO helps teams move from intention to action.

Instead of asking, "Do we have everything in place?", we ask, "What can we deliver today that brings us closer to our goal?"

How to Define The MVO?

Get folks in a room and respond to these questions:

1. What’s the core problem we’re solving?

2. Who are we solving it for?

3. What does success look like in the next 6–12 months?

4. What resources do we already have?

5. What’s the smallest action we can take now?

This approach helps whether you’re installing EV chargers in underserved neighborhoods, launching a workforce program, or piloting an AI-driven engagement process.

Impact Over Process: Should we always engage the public?

We’ve seen (and been part of) public engagement efforts that looked great on paper but didn’t lead to real change. That’s why starting with a clear, shared outcome, even a small one, can help make engagement more honest and meaningful.

To truly serve the public, do we always need to engage them? I don’t think so. I share a few thoughts on this in this recent podcast episode.

The Triangle’s Corner is where we share practical ideas to help focus on real outcomes—whether it's building climate resilience, supporting just communities, or creating smarter cities.

Nader Afzalan, Ph.D.

Founder and CEO, The Triangle

Endowed Chair of Social Justice & Visiting Professor, UC Berkeley