This document discusses building a minimal viable product (MVP) by first creating a minimal testable product (MTP). An MTP has the core functionality of the intended product but is not fully-featured or polished. It is built by a small team using the intended software stack and targets early adopters. The MTP should have the fewest possible features needed to test assumptions about market viability and usability. Features are added incrementally based on testing results to iteratively evolve the MTP into a full MVP. Usability testing is critical and involves crowdsourcing users to provide feedback to inform further development.
5. Ideal MVP
Mini-Me is an Ideal MVP
Core Functionality
Identical “DNA”
Same Major Features
Same Major Functionality
Same Usability
Not Up To Scale
Not As Pretty
5
6. Viable For What?
6
Eric Ries defines MVP as “…that version of a new product
which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of
validated learning about customers with the least effort.”
Minimal
Product nobody
wants to use
Viable
Product built
by companies
that have no
financial limitations
MVP
11. MTP Questions
What Is MTP For?
Who Builds an MTP?
Who Is MTP For?
What Are the MTP Features?
11
12. MTP Purpose
MTP (what are we testing?)
Test Concept Viability
Test Assumptions
Test the Market
Test Product Usability
Test Price Elasticity
Test Product User Targets
12
14. MTP Building
MTP
Built by a Minimal Viable Team
How many? (Hint: not a single guy/gal)
Evolutionary in Its Development
You are not intending to throw it away
Built Using Intended Software Stack
Using starter OS product
Using starter frameworks (Hint: not talking about a programming
language)
14
18. MTP Features
Intelligent Design and Evolutionary Concepts
Aim For Adjacent Possible
Irreducible Complexity
Can’t Take Anything Away
Can’t Be Simpler
Most Efficient For What It Does
Most Efficient Wins
18
23. MTP Don’ts
Do Not Complicate Things
Do Not Make Users Think
Do Not Make Users Work
Do Not Defy User’s Expectations
Do Not Confuse Yourself With Users
Do Not Assume You Know Everything
23