Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

A minimum viable product (MVP) is a version of a product with just enough features to be usable by early customers and to generate validated learning about what they actually need. Rather than building the full product on assumptions, a team releases the smallest thing that can test the most important hypothesis, then decides what to build next based on real feedback.

The point of an MVP is learning, not a stripped-down launch for its own sake. It reduces waste by avoiding investment in features that may not deliver value, and it fits the adaptive mindset of delivering value early and adapting to what is learned.

Related: prototype, value proposition, adaptive approach.

Last updated: 4 July 2026 · By Tom, PMP-certified since 2004

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