Is your MVP really ‘minimum’ and ‘viable’?

But how ‘minimum’ and ‘viable’ should your product be?   

This must be determined when you’re specifying your MVP. Doing so will give you the best chance of getting the very best from it. 

The concept of MVP can at times be misunderstood and even misused. This could result in it neither being minimum nor viable, and ultimately destined for failure. 

To help you get the very best from your MVP, we’re going to explore some common oversights and provide you with a useful checklist that determines whether your MVP is what it’s meant to be; ‘minimum’ and ‘viable’.  

Common MVP oversights 

• Overestimation

• Neglect

• Lack of feedback 

• Stagnant development 

Overestimation

When you’re in the throes of new product development don’t overestimate what constitutes a minimum set of features. Don’t  be tempted to include every possible feature, believing that this will make your digital product more attractive to users.   

Don’t go there! This approach can lead to your MVP being bloated and overly complex. This will also increase the risk of not satisfying early adopters.  

You must draw the line to maintain the ‘minimum’ aspect of your product. Focus on key elements, the core value proposition, and prioritise features that support it. 

Neglect 

Don’t neglect the viability of your MVP.  There’s no point getting the ‘minimum’ right if those pared features don’t work well or are poorly implemented.  

Your digital product must be reliable, user-friendly, and bug-free, even if it only has a handful of features.  If not, the early adopters you’re targeting will quickly lose interest and abandon your product. That’s not good. 

Lack of feedback 

One of your MVP goals is to collect the maximum amount of feedback from users. Don’t fall into the trap of not getting enough quantitative and qualitative data to enable you to develop further iterations.  

User research enables you to gather valuable information from customer panels of potential users, early adopters, and beta testers. 

Stagnant development 

You must be on the ball in terms of using feedback effectively to iterate your digital product. This means making changes as quickly as you can based on what users are telling you.

‘Minimum’ and ‘viable’ MVP checklist 

Remember, don’t overload your MVP with too many (and unnecessary) features. Your goal is to create a product that delivers value and lays the foundation for future growth and development. This checklist will enable you and your team to evaluate whether your MVP is truly ‘minimum’ and ‘viable’.

• Does your product solve a real problem or address a genuine need for your target audience? 

• Have you identified the core features that support your product’s value proposition? 

• Have you eliminated any non-essential features or distractions that might detract from your product’s core value? 

• Are your core features implemented effectively, with a focus on usability and reliability? 

• Have you conducted thorough testing to ensure that your product works as intended and is free of major bugs or issues? 

• Have you collected feedback from early adopters to validate your assumptions and guide further development? 

If your answer is ‘yes' to all of the above, then your MVP is minimum and viable. It’s in a good place. You’re ready to launch it to your target customers. If you can’t answer ‘yes’ to all the questions, you need to change your product before it’s ready for market. 

Working with Codehouse 

At Codehouse our Product Development team is available to discuss your digital product and get your business idea off the ground in the shape of a lean startup. Get in touch to find out more.