- Practice · 5 marks
Minimum viable product and prototyping
Short answer
An MVP is the smallest usable offering that tests customer demand; it differs from a prototype because it is aimed at the market, not at design feasibility.
What is a minimum viable product (MVP)? Explain its purpose, types and how it differs from a prototype.
A minimum viable product (MVP) is the simplest version of a product that has just enough features to be used by early customers and to give validated learning for the next version (Eric Ries, The Lean Startup).
Purpose
- Test the key assumption (will customers want and pay for this?) at low cost and time.
- Collect real user data before investing in full development.
- Reduce the risk of building something nobody needs.
Types of MVP
- Landing-page MVP: a page describing the product with a sign-up or pre-order button.
- Concierge MVP: the service is delivered manually to a few customers.
- Wizard-of-Oz MVP: the user sees an automated product, but humans work behind it.
- Single-feature MVP: only the one core function is built.
- Explainer video / pre-sales: demand tested before building.
Build-Measure-Learn
Build MVP --> Measure --> Learn
^ |
+----- Pivot/Persevere -+
MVP vs prototype
| Basis | Prototype | MVP |
|---|---|---|
| Aim | Test design or technical feasibility | Test market demand |
| Users | Internal team or few testers | Real early customers |
| Output | Model, may not work fully | Usable, sold or offered |
| Learning | How to build | Whether to build |
Answer: An MVP is the smallest usable offering that tests customer demand; it differs from a prototype because it is aimed at the market, not at design feasibility.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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