A minimum viable product (MVP) is the smallest version of a product that lets you learn whether people want it. It is not a low-quality product, and it is not a cut-down version of a big plan. It is a way to answer a specific question as cheaply as possible.
This article is general guidance for anyone planning a digital product. It does not describe specific results from specific projects.
Start with the question, not the features
Before listing features, decide what you need to learn. Examples:
- Will people in this group pay for this?
- Will they come back after the first use?
- Can we deliver the service at a cost that works?
Each question points to a different kind of test. If you cannot say what the MVP is meant to teach you, it is too early to scope it.
Cheap ways to test before you build
You can often learn a lot without writing software:
- Conversations. Talk to potential users about the problem and what they do now.
- A simple page. Describe the offer and measure how many people ask for more.
- A manual version. Deliver the service by hand, using spreadsheets and messaging, to see whether the demand is real.
- A clickable prototype. Show the intended flow and watch where people hesitate.
None of these proves success on its own. Together they reduce the chance of building the wrong thing.
Deciding what goes in the MVP
A simple method to keep scope honest:
- List everything you can imagine the product doing.
- Mark what a user must be able to do to get the core value.
- Remove everything else for now.
- Check the remaining list against the question you want answered.
If the list is still long, the question is probably too broad. Narrow the audience or the problem.
Things that are easy to underestimate
- Sign-in, account recovery and permissions
- Payments, invoicing and refunds
- Admin tools for your own team
- Handling and protecting personal information
- Support: who responds, and how quickly
Set a decision rule in advance
Before you launch, agree what result would make you continue, change direction or stop. For example, a target number of completed sign-ups over a fixed period. Deciding in advance makes it easier to act on what you learn.
Plan the next step either way
An MVP test can lead to three outcomes: build further, adjust, or stop. All three are useful. Stopping early on an idea that is not working is a good result, because it protects time and money for the next opportunity.
If you are weighing up an idea and would like a second view, you are welcome to discuss a project with us.