What the Hell is a MVP?
As an entrepreneur, when you’re building something new, there’s always the temptation to go all-in—create the perfect product, the most polished website, the flashiest branding. But here's the thing: perfection is the enemy of progress. You can’t expect to scale without first testing your ideas with something simple, something that works—an MVP. So, what is an MVP, and why should you care about it when launching your next big thing?
Understanding the MVP: The Basics
In the world of product management, MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product. Simply put, an MVP is the simplest version of your product that you can release to the market to validate your ideas. It’s the foundation, the first step towards what your product will become. Instead of throwing all your resources into creating the perfect, feature-rich product, you launch something that works well enough to test customer interest and gather feedback.
But how do you determine what your MVP should look like? It all starts with understanding your vision and breaking it down into smaller, actionable steps. Here’s how I approach it.
From Vision to MVP: Breaking it Down
When I build websites or develop products, I always start with the bigger vision. What’s the ultimate goal? What am I trying to solve for my customer? Once I have that clear, I break it down into smaller chunks—key features that my customer needs and wants. Then, I focus on what’s absolutely essential—the deal breakers. These become my MVP.
For example, let’s talk about a project I worked on a few years ago: creating a baby carrier designed for wet environments. I had this vision of a product that could withstand the elements and be functional for parents in outdoor or water-heavy settings. I started by designing a pattern, then created a paper version of it to test the concept. Once that was validated, I moved on to creating a rough prototype using my own sewing skills and locally sourced materials.
That MVP wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t mass-market ready. But it was functional, and it proved that my idea was possible without spending tens of thousands of dollars upfront. It helped me spot weaknesses and areas for improvement. The main takeaway here? By building an MVP, I was able to minimize risk before diving into bigger investments.
Applying MVP Thinking to Digital Products
The same thinking applies to digital products. Whether you’re launching an online store, a service-based website, or an app, your MVP doesn’t need to be flashy. It just needs to show that your concept works and that there’s demand for it.
For a basic website, your MVP might be a landing page with a brief introduction and a clear call to action. If you’re launching a product or service, your MVP might include just a homepage, an "About Us" page, and a contact form. As the product evolves, the site can expand to include more features, better design, and additional services.
For an online store, an MVP might include your product pages, shopping cart, and checkout system. You might even start with a basic template design and simple shipping/returns policies. Once you’ve validated the core offering, you can begin expanding the store, improving the user experience, and refining the look and feel.
MVP in Physical Products: The Simple Approach
I’ve also worked with physical products, where the same principles apply. Take the example of a facial oil product. For an MVP, you might create the oil itself and package it in a simple, no-frills bottle with a sticker label. It’s basic, but it’s functional.
Once the product is launched and you’ve gathered feedback, the roadmap expands. Maybe you upgrade the packaging to something more luxurious, with custom-embossed bottles. You could introduce branded boxes for shipping, offering a premium unboxing experience. Every improvement builds on the MVP, ensuring that you’re adding value where it counts and based on real customer feedback.
The Roadmap: Evolving Beyond the MVP
Once you’ve launched your MVP, the next step is to map out your roadmap. This is where the magic happens—the fine-tuning, the added features, the things you learned from your MVP launch that can improve the product. But none of this happens without first validating your MVP. And when you’re clear on the first step, you can get started with purpose.
In product management, we prioritise the backlog. The things that are not essential to your MVP but will enhance the experience get slotted into the backlog. From there, you prioritise these items based on their value and the effort required to implement them. And guess what? These priorities change as you evolve—what was once a "nice-to-have" feature might become a must-have as you receive customer feedback and adapt to market trends.
Conclusion: Building with Purpose
The MVP approach is all about building with purpose. It’s about being strategic with your time, money, and resources. Start small, validate quickly, and build from there. By launching your MVP, you give yourself the space to test, learn, and grow—all while mitigating risk and refining your product in the process.
Whether you’re launching a digital platform or a physical product, keep your MVP lean and focused. Once you have that baseline, you can iterate and expand in a way that’s both smart and sustainable. And remember, it’s not about perfection—it’s about creating something real that serves your customers from the get-go.
With strength, grace, and determination.
Felicity xx
The SheEO Agency™