MVP Builder

Ship MVPs in 1-2 weeks, not months.

Core Principle

Start with the smallest thing that proves/disproves your riskiest assumption.

MVP = Minimum Viable Product, not Minimum Pretty Product.

MVP Feature Matrix

Categorize every feature idea using this matrix:

Category	Definition	Action
P0	Must have for core value proposition	Build now
P1	Important but can wait for v1.1	Ship after validation
P2	Nice to have, delight features	Ship v2+
Out of Scope	Not needed for validation	Defer indefinitely

Example: Task Management MVP

P0 (Week 1):

Create task with title/description
Mark task complete
View task list
Basic authentication

P1 (Post-validation):

Due dates, priorities, reminders

P2 (Future):

Team collaboration, file attachments, mobile app

Out of Scope:

Gantt charts, time tracking, integrations

5 MVP Patterns

1. Concierge MVP

Definition: Manually deliver the service before building automation

When to use: Core value is service delivery, not technology

Examples:

Food delivery → Take orders via WhatsApp, deliver yourself
AI copywriter → Manually write copy for customers
Scheduling tool → Coordinate meetings via email

Time: 1-3 days | Validates: People want the service

2. Wizard of Oz MVP

Definition: Interface looks automated, but humans operate it behind the scenes

When to use: Automation is expensive/complex to build

Examples:

Zapier early days → Manually created integrations
AI chatbot → Human answers, customer thinks it's AI

Time: 1 week | Validates: Users engage with interface

3. Landing Page MVP

Definition: Explain the product + collect emails (no product yet)

When to use: Testing demand before building anything

Examples:

Dropbox → Video showing concept
Buffer → Landing page before code existed

Time: 1-2 days | Validates: People sign up for waitlist

4. Single-Feature MVP

Definition: One feature that solves one problem

When to use: One feature delivers 80% of value

Examples:

Twitter → Just post 140-character updates
Instagram → Just share photos with filters
Stripe → Just accept credit card payments

Time: 1-2 weeks | Validates: People use the core feature

5. Piecemeal MVP

Definition: Combine existing tools instead of building custom

When to use: You can cobble together a solution with existing tools

Examples:

Typeform + Airtable + Zapier + Stripe
No-code tools: Webflow, Bubble, Retool

Time: 2-5 days | Validates: Workflow works end-to-end

Tech Stack Decision Tree

Is this a web app?
├─ YES
│  ├─ Need real-time?
│  │  ├─ YES → Next.js + Supabase + WebSockets
│  │  └─ NO → Remix + PostgreSQL
│  └─ Simple CRUD? → Supabase + React
└─ NO
   ├─ Mobile app? → React Native + Expo
   ├─ API only? → Express + PostgreSQL
   ├─ Chrome extension? → Vanilla JS + Chrome APIs
   └─ CLI tool? → Node.js or Python

Recommended MVP Stack:

Frontend: React + Vite or Next.js
Backend: Supabase (Postgres + Auth + Storage) or Express.js
Styling: Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui
Hosting: Vercel/Netlify (frontend) + Railway/Fly.io (backend)
Auth: Clerk or Supabase Auth
Payments: Stripe Checkout

Speed-Focused Tools:

Supabase (backend in 10 min)
Vercel v0 (UI generation)
Clerk (auth in 5 min)
Stripe Checkout (payments in 20 min)

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

❌ Building features "just in case" → Build when 3+ users request ❌ Perfect design before launch → Ship functional, ugly is fine ❌ Over-engineering architecture → Monolith is fine for MVP ❌ Custom authentication → Use Clerk, Auth0, or Supabase Auth ❌ Building admin panel first → Use database GUI (Retool/Supabase) ❌ Mobile app before web → Web first, always ❌ Scaling for 1M users → Build for 10 users, scale when needed

MVP Quality Standards

Must Have ✅

Core feature works end-to-end
Basic auth (login/signup)
Deploys without crashing
Mobile-responsive (doesn't need to be beautiful)
Basic error handling

Can Skip ⏸️

Perfect UI/UX
Email notifications
Advanced features
Analytics dashboard
Error monitoring (add after validation)
Tests (add after product-market fit)

Build Process

Week 1: Build Core Feature

Days 1-2: Design + Setup

Sketch 3 screens (paper/Figma)
Set up repo + database (3-5 tables max)
Deploy infrastructure

Days 3-4: Build

Authentication (use library, don't build)
Core feature (1 user flow only)
Basic UI (use component library)

Day 5: Polish + Deploy

Fix critical bugs
Deploy to production
Share with 5 friends for feedback

Week 2: Validate

Days 1-2: Iterate

Fix issues from Week 1 feedback
Add 1-2 critical missing features

Days 3-4: Get Users

Share on social media
Post in relevant communities
Email 20 people personally

Day 5: Analyze & Decide

Did 10+ people sign up?
Did 3+ people use it 3+ times?
Are 1-2 people willing to pay?

Decision Point:

✅ Yes to above → Build P1 features
❌ No → Pivot or kill project

Launch Checklist

Pre-Launch (1 hour):

Core user flow works end-to-end
Sign up + login works
Deployed with HTTPS
Privacy policy + ToS (use generator)

Launch Day:

Post on Twitter/LinkedIn with screenshot
Share in 3-5 relevant communities
Email 20 people personally

Week 1 Post-Launch:

Reply to every piece of feedback
Fix critical bugs within 24 hours
User interview with 3-5 early users

Success Metrics

MVP validation criteria:

10+ signups in first week
3+ people use it 3+ times
1-2 people willing to pay

If you hit these: You might have something. Build P1 features.

If you don't: Pivot or move on. Don't invest months in something nobody wants.

Real MVP Examples

Successful minimal starts:

Airbnb: Photos of their apartment + PayPal link
Stripe: Just a form to collect card details
Dropbox: Video demo before building product
Uber: iPhone app in San Francisco only
Facebook: Harvard students only, basic profiles

All started much smaller than you think.

Related Resources

Related Skills:

product-strategist - For validating product-market fit
frontend-builder - For building the UI
api-designer - For backend API design
deployment-advisor - For deployment decisions
go-to-market-planner - For launch strategy

Related Patterns:

META/DECISION-FRAMEWORK.md - Platform selection decision tree

Related Playbooks:

PLAYBOOKS/build-mvp.md - Step-by-step MVP build procedure (when created)

Quick Reference

For experienced users:

Identify riskiest assumption
Choose MVP pattern (Concierge/Wizard/Landing/Single-Feature/Piecemeal)
Categorize features (P0/P1/P2/Out of Scope)
Build P0 only (1-2 weeks max)
Ship ugly but functional
Validate with 10+ users
Decide: build P1 or pivot