Defining the optimal scope for your MVP

As a Product Manager (PM), I can understand the excitement and enthusiasm of launching an MVP ( Minimum Viable Product) of a new product. You can easily drift into lots of features and functionality, as well as potential opportunities that you don’t want to miss. MVP is widely accepted and used today, which represents the simplest version of our product that can be used by early customers and, at the same time to provide enough value to gather validated learning about the potential of the product.

However, the main “art” and skill is, how to define the optional MVP scope. It is a bit like walking on a tightrope. We want to deliver enough value to capture customers’ interest and get their feedback, but not so much that we drown under development time and cost.

Why does MVP scope matter?

Metaphorically speaking: an overstuffed MVP is like a backpack overflowing with camping gear on a day hike. It's cumbersome, slows you down, you have more things than you need, and the extra things are a heavy burden for your hike. 

MVP with the right scope,  is like a backpack that you carry on a hike with all the essentials. It's light, easy to carry, and allows you to reach your destination (user validation) efficiently. 

My favourite metaphor for MVP is the quote, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter”. I am not aware who is the author of this quote, but as product managers we should take the time to write the shorter letter (i.e. to define the right scope of the MVP), so we get the MVP to market faster and get the customer feedback in order to adjust and improve. 

The MVP Sweet Spot:

The sweet spot for an MVP scope lies at the intersection of three essential elements:

• Core Functionality: This refers to the essential features that solve a user's core problem and deliver value. As PMs, we need to identify these core functionalities through user research, and not through our assumptions. I recommend collaborating closely on this one with the UX researcher, (if you have a UX researcher (UXR ) in the team).
  

• Technical Feasibility: We need to collaborate closely with the development team to ensure the selected core functionality and features are technically feasible andnot too complex to implement within the MVP timeframe and resource constraints.
  

• Simple and lean: We should avoid complexity in the MVP phase as much as we can. Our goal is to build a minimum viable product, not a magnum opus (Perfect product). We should prioritise features that provide the most customer value with the least amount of development effort.

Key approaches to defining the MVP scope:

Here are a few key approaches for defining the MVP scope:

• User Research is crucial: Conduct user interviews, surveys, and usability testing to understand your customers' (target audience) pain points and wishes. We can use this gathered data to prioritise features that address these customers’ needs. UXR is an important team collaborator at this stage. 

• Prioritization Frameworks: Techniques like the MoSCoW method (Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, Won't-Have) , the Kano Model or the Eisenhower matrix can help categorize features planned based on importance and user satisfaction.

• Embrace the Minimum Viable Feature (MVF): We should not focus on significant features but consider building the smallest possible feature set that delivers value to the user. This will allow us to iterate and validate faster.

Collaboration is key

Defining the MVP scope is not solely the task of the product manager. As PM, we should involve the team and crucial stakeholders as I have mentioned in the “core functionality” part above.
Insights on technical feasibility, and development effort are crucial for making informed scope decisions which will come from the team and the business context about viability from the business owners and management. 

At this stage, we can easily fall into the trap of wanting to build a perfect MVP, impress the stakeholders, management and business owners. As PMs we need to remain focused on selecting the core functionalities, assess their feasibility and make sure we move fast to the market to get the first feedback.

Tools and techniques

There are also many tools and techniques that can be helpful in defining your MVP. Here are some of them that I found particularly useful: 

• User Story Mapping: This technique visually maps user journeys and helps identify the features needed. Here you can visualize the needed features and visually divide what can go into the MVP. 

• Minimum Viable Feature (MVF): Focus on building the smallest possible feature set that delivers a specific value to the user.

• Rapid Prototyping: Collaborating with the UX is crucial here to create quick, low-fidelity wireframes and prototypes to test core functionalities and gather user feedback even in the prototype/low-fidelity stage. 

Optimal MVP scope is the first step in building a successful product 

MVP is our first milestone, and we certainly don’t want to start on the wrong foot.
To achieve this goal, we as PMs need to prioritise core functionalities based on customers’ needs that are technically feasible, while avoiding the trap of having a large release and “perfect MVP”.

Collaboration with our team and utilising tools and techniques like user story mapping, rapid prototyping, user research, and prioritisation frameworks will help us achieve the optimal scope that we strive for, one that can be delivered quickly and based on customer needs.

The optimal scope of MVP is the first step of building a successful product that our customers will love.