The MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is the smallest version of your offer capable of testing an assumption with real customers. The goal is not to impress, but to learn fast and cheaply.
The Build → Measure → Learn loop
Some examples of MVPs
- A sales page with a « pre-order » button, before anything is produced.
- A service delivered manually to 5 customers, with no automation and no app.
- A demo video to gauge interest.
- A plain spreadsheet or an Instagram account before any website.
A good MVP is built in a few days for a few tens of euros. If « just testing » takes six months and 20,000 €, it is no longer an MVP. Better the embarrassment of an imperfect product than the ruin of a perfect product nobody was waiting for.
Key takeaway: the MVP is the minimal version that tests an assumption with real customers, inside the Build → Measure → Learn loop, fast and at low cost.