Expert knowledge for digital decisions
What is an MVP and why start with it?
Short answer
What an MVP is – and what it is not
It is: a version that covers a complete process and can be used in everyday life. Fewer features, but the existing ones work.
It is not: a half-finished version with many features that all do not work properly. That is not an MVP, but an unfinished product.
A picture to illustrate: An MVP is not a half car, but a bicycle. It gets you from A to B.
How it saves money
Experience shows that a significant portion of the initially desired features is hardly used in the first year. Which part that is, no one knows in advance – not even you. An MVP makes this visible within a few weeks, instead of after a year.
How to tailor it
Not by "what is easy", but by a complete path through the process. Example customer portal:
- In the MVP: sign up, create a process, see status
- Later: file attachments, notifications, evaluations, roles, bulk processing
The first part is usable in everyday life. An "MVP" where you can sign up but cannot do anything is not one.
The most common mistake
Treating the MVP as a disposable version. It is the foundation on which further development is built – therefore, the same standards for code quality, testing, and security apply as later on.
Key facts
- MVP
- Minimum Viable Product – smallest useful version
- Tailoring
- A complete path through the process
- Not an MVP
- Many features, all half-finished