How do you scope your product's MVP?

Focus on the core user need or problem. Build the simplest version that addresses that need. Identify the key features that are absolutely essential to solve that core need. Cut out nice-to-have features. Focus on a narrow target audience or customer segment. Don't try to solve everyone's problems all at once. Prioritize breadth over depth of features. It's better to have the basic functionality work across the core flows than to have polished features that don't address the full user journey.

In my experience building MVP, it’s essential not only to deliver valuable features that incentivize customers to try your product, but to design in a delightfully polished way that leads customers to look forward to more. High value and high quality are key to MVP. I’ve seen too many products fail because they were rushed out the door, unpolished and riddled with defects. A poorly executed MVP will turn customers away when you likely need them most. It’s difficult if not impossible to recover from a tarnished first experience.

Another thing to consider when defining the MVP is time and resources. Think of the MVP as the product you want to make when all of a sudden, a big portion of resources and time becomes unavailable for making the product. So what is it that we want to make using the least possible resources & time and it also fulfils the vision ( i.e. it still successfully solves the problem for which this product was conceptualized).

This is like a foundation to building products and spending quality time on discovery is very crucial. Many products fail because either the problem is misunderstood or not fully understood.

Start by aligning with your team on the product's overall vision and goals. What problem are you solving? What are the key objectives? Make sure everyone is on the same page before diving into scoping. Analyze user personas and feedback to identify the core needs your product must address. Focus on the most essential features and functionalities that directly address these needs.

When scoping an MVP, it's essential to focus on solving the core problem that your product addresses. Prioritizing features that directly address this pain point can lead to quicker validation and actionable feedback from early users. One thing to remember is that the MVP is not about packing in every possible feature, but about delivering the core value proposition with simplicity. This avoids feature bloat and keeps the focus on what truly matters.

Focus first on the features that address the core user need or problem you identified. These are the absolute must-haves. Next look at features that will deliver the most value to users based on impact and importance. Use techniques like user research, customer interviews, and surveys to identify the high-value features. Consider which features can demonstrate the core functionality and vision for your product. Include enough to convey the purpose and potential

I would like to add a few pointers here towards deciding which type of MVP would benefit your Product for a more realistic Insight from the Customers. Single Feature MVP is one of the methods where the basic feature/ the single core functionality is released to customers. Concierge method let's you gain real insights and happens manually at the organization's end whereas to the customers, it will seem like a fully functional automated app providing you great realistic insights on customer needs and how well you solve them. Crowdfunding method is one where it helps funding the product development and also helps you gain insights on the interest in your product. Fake landing page can also be used to gain real insights from customers

Use techniques like the MoSCoW method (Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, Won't-Have) or the Kano model to prioritize features. This ensures that the most critical functionalities are included in the MVP.

Identify your key assumptions about the problem, solution, target audience, pricing, etc. Make those assumptions explicit so you can test them. Design simple experiments that allow you to collect data to validate those assumptions. For example, build a landing page to test interest, conduct smoke tests to gauge reactions. Leverage a lean startup or design thinking approach by releasing your MVP to a small pilot group, gathering feedback, making changes, and reiterating. Use A/B testing to test variants of features, UI, pricing, etc. and see what resonates most with users.

Use iterative development to build, test, and validate your MVP with users. Gather feedback and insights to make informed decisions about further development.

Review your key assumptions and validate if they were proven or disproven. Update your hypotheses based on learnings. Analyze your metrics and look for trends and patterns that provide insights into customer behavior and needs. Identify areas for improvement. Prioritize new features based on updated assumptions and user feedback. Focus on fixes and enhancements that address pain points.

Use iterative development to build, test, and validate your MVP with users. Gather feedback and insights to make informed decisions about further development.

I've found that involving cross-functional teams early in the scoping process can bring diverse perspectives to the table. This can help refine the MVP's feature set and ensure a well-rounded solution. Additionally, involving potential users in the scoping phase, through surveys or early prototypes, helps in fine-tuning the MVP's feature set. Their input can guide decisions towards building what truly resonates.

I have found that too often teams focus on the “M” and rush to get a minimal product on the market, versus focusing on the “V” and ensuring the viability of the product that is launched. This is especially true when entering markets that already have successful products - it is not enough to just launch a product, unless you have minimal aspirations — it is critical that your offering addresses unmet market needs and/or uniquely solves a problem versus other current offerings.

The concept of "viability" is misleading as it defocuses people from the real essence of a product, a value-delivering vessel. I'd recommend replacing "viable" with "valuable". The question is then: what's the minimum or simplest product I can build to solve my customer's problem? Of course, limiting the scope of a product may require limiting the target audience and only satisfying a small percentage of the total addressable market. But focusing first on a niche has proven to be the best approach for many successful companies.

In our product development, we have started focusing on MLP (Minimum Loveable Product) instead of MVP. This requires thinking through what differentiates your product from others and makes product desirable not just feasible.

One useful approach when scoping a product's minimum viable product (MVP) is to focus on solving a single, high-impact problem or addressing a core pain point for your target users. By honing in on a single crucial aspect, you can allocate your resources more effectively and ensure that your MVP delivers a clear and compelling value proposition.