An MVP is the simplest version of a product that still gives the user its core value. Its goal is not completeness; its goal is to find out sooner whether your idea is useful to anyone.
What an MVP is not#
An MVP is not a low-quality or half-finished version. The one or two core features must work properly. It is just that the other features, which may never turn out to be needed, are left out.
A few simple examples#
- Landing page: a page describing the product with a sign-up form, to gauge interest.
- Manual behind the scenes: for example, a food delivery service that first collects orders by messenger and phone and builds the app later.
- Single-feature version: an app that does only one thing and is open to a small number of users.
Why it matters#
Building a full product takes months and a lot of money, and if the market does not want it, it is all wasted. With an MVP you can learn cheaply and decide what to build.
Practical tip#
Before building the MVP, write a clear hypothesis, for example "at least ten percent of visitors sign up". Without a success criterion, the result of the test means nothing.
Common misconception#
Some teams grow the MVP so much that it effectively becomes a full product. If it takes more than a few weeks to build, it is probably still too big.