A Minimum Viable Product is the simplest version of a product that can be released to test a business hypothesis with real users. The goal is not to build something incomplete or broken, but to identify the smallest feature set that delivers genuine value and generates actionable feedback.
Key Concepts
The MVP approach comes from the Lean Startup methodology. Instead of spending months building a full-featured product, you ship the core functionality first. This lets you validate assumptions before investing significant resources. The key distinction is "viable": the product must actually solve a problem, even if it solves only one problem.
There are several MVP approaches: a landing page MVP tests demand before building anything, a concierge MVP delivers the service manually before automating it, and a Wizard of Oz MVP looks automated to users but runs on human effort behind the scenes.
Why It Matters
Building without validation is the number one reason startups fail. Teams spend a year building something nobody wants. An MVP compresses the feedback loop from months to weeks. You learn whether your solution resonates, which features users actually need, and where your assumptions were wrong.
The financial benefit is equally important. An MVP might cost 10-20% of a full product build. If the idea fails, you have lost weeks instead of years. If it succeeds, you have real user data to guide the next phase.
In Practice
Dropbox started with a three-minute demo video showing the product concept. The video generated 75,000 signups overnight, validating demand before the team wrote the sync engine. Airbnb began as a simple page listing air mattresses in the founders' apartment during a conference. Twitter launched as an internal SMS tool at a podcasting company.
Common Mistakes
Shipping too much defeats the purpose because you cannot isolate what works. Shipping too little risks testing nothing useful. The sweet spot is one core workflow, executed well enough that users experience the value proposition clearly. Skip nice-to-haves like admin panels, complex settings, and edge case handling in your first release.