MVP Planning

Overview

An MVP is not a product with every feature you can imagine stripped down. It is the smallest thing you can build that tests your core business hypothesis and delivers real value to real customers. If you build too much, you waste time on features nobody asked for. If you build too little, you launch something that doesn't actually solve the problem. This playbook defines the line precisely and gives you a repeatable process to find it.

Step 1: Restate Your Core Hypothesis

Before scoping anything, write down the single hypothesis your MVP must test. Everything you include must serve this hypothesis. Everything that doesn't gets cut.

Format:

IF we build [specific product that does X for Y customers],
THEN [specific outcome we expect — e.g., Z% will pay, W% will return weekly].

Example: "IF we build an automated client progress report tool for freelance developers, THEN at least 30% of beta users will use it weekly within the first month, and at least 10% will convert to a paid plan."