Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is that version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers and the solution with the least effort.
Usually MVP’s are smart to release to a limited number of customers to get early feedback, iterate and release the next MVP and so on and so forth, until you are ready and confident for a full public release.
MVP’s are planned research activities and not something that should be done because of pushing deadlines.
In a nutshell
Time
4 – 8 weeks
Participants
– Project team
Materials
Not applicable
Learning materials
UX Fundamentals (internal training)
Build the right things! (internal training)
Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and Design – Balancing Risk to Gain Reward (article) – Interaction Design Foundation
What is a Minimum Viable Product? (article) – Agile Alliance
PREPARE
Plan your MVP releases! You can use User Story Maps, Impact Maps or any other way to scope out whole individual segments that you can release at their own usable release.
Plan how you select the early users and what methods you use to get feedback between iterations, e.g. analytics, interviews, usability tests etc.
Manage expectations. Communicate to stakeholders (marketing, sales…) that this / these coming MVP releases are not the full release that can be marketed and sold! This is crucial in managing expectations.
DURING
Analyze the feedback. Before you start doing the next iteration, be sure to reach and get feedback from users early. Do not simply trust that “users will say if something troubles them.” They will not. You need to ask.
Between each iteration you may want to increase the amount of customers who are using the MVP.
Launch time! When you are confident enough with your solution, you can go for a proper launch.
