MVP or minimum viable product, is a tool that allows us to validate hypotheses quickly and cheaply.
It is the minimum expression of the solution we want to create.
What is an MVP?
The concept of "MVP" refers to a minimum viable product. It was first coined by Eric Ries in his book "Lean Startup" and is used to describe a small product whose sole function is to validate an idea. The main purpose of an MVP is to determine if there is a market for the product and if it is worth investing resources in its development.
Let's imagine someone has an idea to create a delivery service. Instead of hiring a team of developers and spending a lot of money on creating an app, there is a more effective way to test this idea.
Creating a "Delivery App"
The MVP approach is to create a minimal product to validate whether people are willing to use an online delivery service. Instead of developing a complex application right off the bat, this person decides to build a simple web page with a text field and a button that sends an email with the order.
Initially, this minimal product is used to receive orders and evaluate whether there is sufficient demand. When the orders start to become too numerous to be fulfilled manually, it is understood that it is worth developing a more complete application.
Today, this web page with a text field and a button is known as Glovo, a product delivery company.
Validate fast, fail cheap
The idea of an MVP is to identify the minimum that the product must do to validate its viability - Does the product need to take orders - Should it allow users to register - Is it important for people to talk about it?
An MVP can be as simple as a subscription form or a Facebook post. Its main purpose is to get feedback and validate the underlying hypothesis before investing time and resources in developing a full product.
Imagine we want to develop an app to connect dog walkers with dog owners. Before investing in the development of a sophisticated app, we can validate if there are people interested in hiring unknown dog walkers to take care of their dogs. A landing page with a form that allows to receive offers can be a suitable start to validate this idea.
An interesting MVP story is that of Yana, a startup founded by a Platzi student who, through a bot, provides accompaniment to people with problems such as depression or anxiety.
In the beginning, the founder herself acted as the bot, providing support to users. Over time, the platform has developed and improved, but the initial version of the MVP validated the need for this type of service.
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