The concept of MVP can not be overemphasised. It helps test and validates laid down hypotheses to determine product-market fit.

During the early stages of my career as a developer, I had the opportunity to work on some projects. One thing that was always a concern to me was that some of these products did not scale despite the efforts, resources and investments.

Back then, as a developer, I knew deep down that something was going to go wrong because, at the time, I was not only passionate about the technicality/functionality ( aka the HOW), but I was also concerned about the feasibility and scalability.

I now understand what we could have done better by wearing my product hat and what went wrong.

See…

It is very easy to be excited when an idea drops in your head, but it is also important to realise that ideas come in the solution state. As we’ve heard repeatedly, the first step to solving problems is not to spend money developing but spend time identifying and understanding the problem that the supposed solution solves.

Do not just assume; that’s a dangerous route to follow.

Have you ever seen a building without a foundation? — I know you are tempted to say yes because emerging technologies have created new ways of doing things, but trust me, a building without a foundation may stand now. Still, one thing is sure it will not stand for long because certain conditions will test its staying power.

You may think you are doing the right thing and on the right path to “Beating your competitor” in the market but time will tell.

“So Miracle, what if I have done my research and I have identified the problem and solution? How do I test it without running into so much cost?” — My answer? Go for an MVP in the early stage.

Yes.

What is an MVP?

MVP is short for Minimum Viable Product.

Minimum because it has a limited number of features.

Viable because it is feasible and capable of working successfully.

An MVP is the first workable concept of your product/business idea. It has the primary features that help attract and get feedback from the early adopters of your product.

You can validate your idea with an MVP without putting in many resources. This way, you get to learn more about your customers and save costs. It is small in scale, fast and cheap.

Need A Practical Example? — sure!

Let’s use Amazon as an example.

When Jeff Bezos started in his early days, the company did not sell the products we see today on its website. In the early 1990s, Amazon started as an online book store with a website that addressed one pain point.

At the time the internet was fairly a new concept and though he had the vision to build an empire where “everything is sold”, he saw the need to start small. They launched the MVP and thankfully started making more. They embraced iteration and began to grow based on user feedback, needs and technological opportunities. Eventually, they evolved into what we know today selling everything from A to Z.

Note: The early stage is not for perfection, it sets the tone for progress and determines the direction that progression will take. MVP gives you a starting point for iteration in product development.

Now you have a basic knowledge of what an MVP is and the role it plays in testing and validating your product idea.

Food for Thought: Must your MVP be a website like Amazon or are there other methods?

Find out in the next article 😀