What is Minimum viable product (MVP)?
A minimum viable product (MVP) is the smallest version of your product that lets real customers get the core result, so you can learn whether they will use it and pay for it.
Example
Before building a scheduling app, a founder runs bookings for ten clinics by hand through a shared calendar and a simple form. If the clinics keep using it and pay $50 a month, the core value is proven before any code is written.
Why it matters for early-stage founders
Building is the most expensive way to learn. An MVP gets you real behavior from real customers in weeks, so you spend months building only what they have proven they need.
The common mistake
Treating the MVP as a smaller version of the full product. It should test one key assumption, not ship ten half-finished features.
Decide what your MVP must prove
solvee helps you pick the one assumption your MVP should test, based on your ideal customer and their biggest problem.
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Reviewed October 12, 2026