Product management glossary
Minimum viable product (MVP)
Definition: A minimum viable product (MVP) is the smallest version of a product that can be released to real users to test a key assumption and start learning.
The point of an MVP is learning, not saving effort. It should be complete enough to deliver real value to early users, but small enough that the team learns quickly whether it is worth investing further.
A common mistake is treating the MVP as version one with features removed. A better framing is: what is the riskiest assumption, and what is the smallest thing we can ship to test it?