MVP Definition & Boundaries

MVP = Minimum Viable Product. Coined by Frank Robinson and popularized by Eric Ries in The Lean Startup. Core idea: with minimal time and cost, ship a version that validates your core hypothesis.

Common misunderstandings: MVP is a "stripped" version with no features; MVP can be sloppy because it's "minimum." Both are wrong.

MVP isn't a crippled version; it's a focused version. It should do one narrow thing exceptionally well. Dropbox's MVP was a polished 3-minute demo video that clearly showed the core value. Airbnb's MVP was three air mattresses in their apartment-but with good photos and a working site. Twitter started as an internal SMS tool for "what I'm doing." None were "complete," but each nailed its focus.