MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
The smallest version of a product that delivers real value to early users, built to learn from the market with the least effort.
An MVP is the leanest product that still solves a real problem for real users — enough to ship, learn, and iterate, but no more. Its purpose is to test the riskiest assumptions of a business with the least time and money, before committing to a full build.
The word that trips teams up is viable: an MVP must actually deliver value, not just be small. A cramped, broken first version teaches you that people dislike a bad product, not whether they want the real one. Getting the MVP scope right is the first step toward product-market fit.
Learn more
Related terms
Product-Market FitThe stage at which a product satisfies a strong market demand so well that usage, retention, and word-of-mouth grow on their own.PrototypingBuilding an interactive, clickable model of a product so a flow can be experienced and tested before it is engineered.Product DesignEnd-to-end design ownership of a digital product — from user research and strategy through UX, UI, and shipping — tied to business outcomes.