Types of MVP
The topic of Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is an important one for any person involved with product development, even more important if, like me, you are involved in workshops – like the Lean Inception -- to help people align and decide about it.
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I an often asked about the types of MVP , so I decided to update the content of a blog post, which I wrote back in March 2016. Understanding and choosing the types of MVP can speed up the learning cycle and lead to effective product refinement. The MVP is not just a preliminary launch, but a test and learn strategy, essential for any project seeking continuous success and innovation.
Fake Door MVP
A Fake Door MVP is a link that simulates a new feature or product to gauge user interest before actually developing it.
Example: An e-commerce website adds a “One-Click Purchase” button, but when clicked, a message informs that the product is “sold out” and asks for an email for notification.
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AB Test MVP
In an AB Test MVP, you conduct comparative tests between two versions of a feature or product to identify which one elicits a better response from the audience.
Example: An e-commerce platform tests two versions of a product page, one with lots of technical details and another focused on user reviews, to see which generates more sales.
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Landing Page MVP
In a Landing Page MVP, a single web page is created to describe the value proposition of a product and gauge public interest through sign-ups or pre-registrations.
Example: An entrepreneur creates a landing page to test her idea for a fitness app and measures how many visitors sign up for the “launch” (even though development has not even started, only announced).
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Explainer Video MVP
An Explainer Video MVP is used to present the concept of the product to potential users and gauge interest through an explanatory video.
Example: Before building Dropbox, one of the founders recorded and released an explanatory video on how the product would work and requested emails from those interested in the product (and received many!).
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Email Campaign MVP
An email campaign is sent out to a selected list of contacts to validate interest in a product or service.
Example: I sent an email to my newsletter subscribers with a proposal for a new training program and measured how many people clicked to learn more.
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Single Feature MVP
A Single Feature MVP focuses on developing and refining just one main feature that solves a specific user problem.
Example: A note-taking app launches with only one main feature, real-time synchronization, before adding other functionalities.
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Thin Slice MVP
A Thin Slice MVP involves building a very simple version of the product that goes through all layers of the process or system. Instead of focusing on a single functionality like the Single Feature MVP, Thin Slice MVP aims to deliver a complete end-to-end workflow but does so in a more simplified manner.
Example: An e-commerce website starts with a Thin Slice MVP, offering a single product, a product detail page, a simple checkout process, and an order confirmation. Even without advanced features such as product listings, product categories, product recommendations, customer reviews, or integrations with logistics systems, customers can still complete a purchase from start to finish, allowing the company to validate the buying process and market demand.
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Presale MVP
A Presale MVP offers the product for sale before it is available, with the goal of validating demand.
Example: A gaming studio opens pre-sales for a new video game and uses the numbers to adjust production and marketing.
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Concierge MVP
In the Concierge MVP, the service is offered and operated manually to simulate the final product experience and validate the business idea.
Example: A company planning to launch an investment advisory service offers personalized consultations before developing an automated platform.
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Wizard of Oz MVP
The Wizard of Oz MVP creates the illusion of a fully functional product or service, but operations are manually carried out behind the scenes.
Example: A startup launches an cooking app that recommends a recipe given a list of ingredients. It tests the idea with a person receiving the order and manually searching for recipes online and sending them by email.
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This text is part of a more comprehensive article on MVP. Interested in MVP? Then check out how to align people and decide where to start (MVP!) with Lean Inception trainingLean Inception book.
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?? I help tech Startups scale products faster via coded design systems. | Product Design | User-Centric Design, UI/UX Development, Coded Design Systems
11 个月I believe the most important keys to startup success are flexibility and speed. Without them, it's really challenging to keep up with this rapid tech market. Do you know any strategies for this?
Product Manager | Senior Certified Product Owner | Business Planning & Prioritization | UX Data Driven | Customer Success | Financial & Professional Services | Insurance | Agile Transformation Agent | AI
11 个月Hi Paulo, LEAN INCEPTION has been truly great for shaping our MVP journey! As I get deeper into refining my product prioritization techniques, particularly for ROADMAP PRIORITIZATION and existing features, I find myself seeking new approaches to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, given some caveats. I know we always attempt to be data-driven, but sometimes, we just don't have enough data, or the variables are really (apparently) unrelated to extract Insights. Currently, I'm developing and refining my own prioritization system, which I've had the opportunity to test in practice. It's ADAPTABLE and AGNOSTIC, designed to be customized for any context where we lack data. If anyone has insights or methods similar to share expertise (similar to Teresa Torres' 'Opportunity Solutions Tree') or innovative discovery techniques, I'd love to hear about them. Happy to share my method with you or anyone interested, just DM me. Let's spark a discussion and share valuable insights to elevate our product management practices! #ProductPrioritization #LeanInception #ProductManagement #ProductDiscovery #Roadmap
Founder, Consultant, Trainer | Author, Keynote Speaker, Executive Mentor | PhD
11 个月Example: A startup launches an cooking app that recommends a recipe given a list of ingredients. It tests the idea with a person receiving the order and manually searching for recipes online and sending them by email. I think I know this one ??