In short: An MVP is the smallest form of a product that can verify a fundamental assumption with real users. It should not be a cheap version without value or learning potential.
How I use MVP (Minimum Viable Product) in practice
I use MVP as a working framework, not a presentation label. I compare the company's promise with what a customer actually experiences while searching, buying and using. I turn the difference into a concrete task and define in advance how we will recognise progress. This makes the term useful for product, marketing and sales.
What to watch
A workshop alone guarantees no result. Problems arise when MVP becomes detached from economics, team capacity or customer experience. Every claim therefore needs a source, an owner for the next step and a date when we will revisit it.
Questions for decisions
- Which specific decision should the term clarify?
- What supports our claim and what is still a hypothesis?
- What will we do differently because of this decision?
- Who owns the change and when will we assess its impact?