The Importance of the MVP

10 Jul ‘13

In: Business, Mobile App Design & Development, / By: Chris Simental

If you’re an entrepreneur with a great idea, you might be inclined to think YOU are the MVP (as in, Most Valuable Player). While that may be true, there’s an even more important MVP that needs attention and that is the Minimum Viable Product.

Per Wikipedia, a Minimum Viable Product is one that has “just those features that allow the product to be deployed, and no more.” In other words, it includes the least amount of features possible. One of the major benefits of this approach is that the product can be validated as quickly and as cheaply as possible. By removing frivolous features, time and cost can be reduced and resources can be hyper-focused on getting the core features right. This provides an opportunity to get your product in front of users as soon as possible so you can test whether or not it’s valuable to them.

Google’s MVP

Do you remember how simple the first version of Google was?

Obviously Google does much more than search today, but this MVP allowed them to get their core feature (search) in front of millions very quickly. It also allowed them to start gathering user search preferences to refine their product.

Apple’s MVP

As awesome and game-changing as it was, the first-generation iPhone had its shortcomings:

Apple made a conscious decision to not compete on specs, but instead, focus on getting the core experience right. That approach paid off big-time because the user experience was entirely new, well thought-out, and people loved it.

Key Points for a Successful MVP

• Focus on only the core features that make your product desirable to your audience.
• Create a working version of your core product as soon as possible so you can get people using it right away.
• Focus on functionality, not look and feel. The way your product works is much more important than how it looks. You can always finesse the visuals once you confirm your product is valuable.
• Say “no” to any new feature unless you can prove it’s valuable.
• Avoid throwing in features just because a competing product has them. If it’s not core to your product, eliminate it.

 

Now, go and dream up something great. Just keep it simple 🙂

 

 

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