MVP (minimum viable product)
Also called minimum viable product.
The smallest version of a product that real users can use, built to test whether the core idea works.
Last updated
What it is.
An MVP keeps only the features needed to deliver the main value and learn from real use. It is real software: people sign up, use it for real tasks and their data is kept. That is what separates it from a clickable prototype, which only looks real.
What counts as minimum depends on the risk you are testing. If the question is whether anyone wants it, the MVP can be narrow and manual behind the scenes. If the question is whether it can be built at all, the MVP has to prove the hard technical part.
Why it matters
Every feature you add before launch is a guess about what users want. An MVP limits how much you build on guesses and gets real usage data sooner. It also keeps early technical debt contained, because there is less code to change when you learn something new.
Common mistakes.
- 01
Making it minimum but not viable: so stripped down that nobody can do a real task with it.
- 02
Skipping security and data protection because it is only an MVP. Real users mean real data.
- 03
Never deciding what result would count as success or failure before launch.
Work it out with a tool.
Related terms.
- Clickable prototypeA set of linked screens you can click through, built to test a design before the real software exists.
- Technical debtThe future cost of shortcuts taken in code today.
- Fixed-price contractA contract where the price for an agreed scope is set up front.
- Total cost of ownership (TCO)Everything a piece of software costs over its life, not just the price to build or buy it.
Guides and pages
Browse the full glossary or read answers to common questions.
