Yes, MVP is not One Thing…Let’s See Some Examples

The idea of a minimum viable product is a common phrase word in startup circles. It is thought of as the “John the Baptist” of the real product, with just “enough” features for early adopters.

As seen in the Dropbox example, MVP is not necessarily a prototype of a product, though it can also be a prototype. More accurately though, the similarity between an MVP and a prototype is that they are both a light version of your product.

I like to think about an MVP as a solution to validating the product idea. Think about if you were to create an MVP for recording music. It would not immediately be a Spotify product. You may the idea of a tape or a CD or a Vinyl, but it is not a definite product; rather, it is an imagination of the solution.

Zappos is one of my favorite MVPs. The founders did not go into the business of making shoes. They just created the website and took photos of the shoes that they wanted to sell, and when customers ordered, they got the shoes for them from conventional stores. That sounds like drop shipping, right? It was in 1999 and things were different.

The case of Uber as an MVP is also very interesting. The founders did not start by building the app, even though their idea was to pair drivers. They focused on the San Francisco market using iPhones and SMS, and that gave the founders the opportunity to test the product and know its viability.

The thing that stands out with all MVPs is the need to collect feedback from early adopters, whether that happens after showing them the prototype, showcasing the idea or even giving them the full product.