What is an MVP and when should you develop one?
An MVP, or Minimum Viable Product, is a first version of a product containing what is needed to test an idea with real users. It does not mean creating a low-quality version. It means avoiding months spent developing features we do not yet know anyone needs.
What an MVP should include
An MVP should solve a specific need. To define it, first identify who the user is, what problem they have and the main action they should be able to perform. From there, separate the essential from the secondary. Registration, payments, profiles, notifications, dashboards and other features may be important, but they do not necessarily have to be part of the first version. The question is simple: what do we need to build to test the product as a hypothesis?
When it makes sense
An MVP can be particularly useful for startups, entrepreneurs and companies entering a new market. Also when there is a clear idea but not yet enough information about how users will use it. Launching a first version makes it possible to observe real behaviour. What people use, where they drop off, which features they request and which problems had not been anticipated.
An MVP needs design too
Reducing scope does not mean removing UX/UI. A confusing experience can make a good idea look bad. The goal is to design a small but coherent version of the product. It should be clear enough for people to use and solid enough to produce useful information.
After launch
The MVP is not the end of the project. It is the start of a learning cycle. Data, interviews, metrics and feedback help determine what to develop next. At HIBI, we develop products in stages. We define what needs to be in the first version, design the experience, build it and use what we have learned to decide the next step. A good MVP does not try to prove that the idea is perfect.
It tries to discover whether it is worth continuing to build.
