What is MVP (Minimum Viable Product)?

Definition

MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product, which means "a product with only the core features." Simply put, it's "the simplest version that works."

Let me give you an example. Say your friend wants to create a delivery app. What would be needed to make a perfect app? Beautiful design, real-time delivery tracking, various payment methods, review system, coupons, points, AI recommendations... Making all of this would take a year and cost millions of dollars. But what if people don't use it after all that work? You've wasted all that time and money.

The MVP approach is different. First, you only build the core features: "View restaurant list + Order by phone" - just these two things. Not even an app, just a simple website. This can be built in 2 weeks for $2,000. Test it in one neighborhood. If people use it, add features one by one. If they don't, quickly change direction or give up. You've saved time and money.

Characteristics

• Only the essentials - Include only necessary features, not nice-to-have ones. Remove 80% of features and keep only 20%
• Built quickly - Made in weeks, not months. Getting it to market fast is important
• Low cost - Built with 10-20% of the full product cost. Not a big loss even if it fails
• Real validation - See actual user reactions, not imagination. Not "Is this idea good?" but "Do people actually use it?"
• Continuous improvement - Not completed at once, but developed gradually. Version 1, 2, 3... like that

How to Use

Let's learn step by step how to properly build an MVP. Assume you're starting a new service.

Step 1: Clarify the problem First, you need to clarify what problem you're trying to solve. "What's inconvenient for people?" "What am I solving?" For example, "Gym reservations are inconvenient," "Freelancers have trouble finding work," "Afraid of fraud in used goods transactions." A clear problem leads to a clear solution.

Step 2: Define core value What's the single most important thing that solves that problem? For example, for a gym reservation app, the core is "being able to book at your desired time." Beautiful design, social login, adding friends - these come later. Focus on just one core value.

Step 3: Create minimum feature list What's minimally needed to deliver that core value? For a gym reservation app: View gym list, view schedule, make reservation, cancel reservation. Just these four things make it work. Remove reviews, friend invites, points, push notifications. You can add them later.

Step 4: Build in the simplest way You don't need to build an app from the start. There are simpler ways. For example: Accept applications via Google Forms, send notifications through KakaoTalk, manage with Excel, just make a simple webpage, use existing tools (Notion, Airtable). This way you can build an MVP without coding or spending money.

Step 5: Complete in 2-4 weeks Building fast is key for MVP. Aim for 2-4 weeks. If it takes longer, you'll want to make it perfect. "Let's add this and that too..." and it takes 6 months. Don't do that - build quickly and test quickly.

Step 6: Test with a small group first Don't spread it nationwide, test with a small group first. 10 friends, 1 neighborhood gym, one school class. Testing at this scale lets you find problems quickly. Even if there's a big problem, it's embarrassing to only 10 people, not being criticized by 1,000.

Step 7: Get feedback Ask users: "What was inconvenient?" "What features do you need most?" "Would you pay for this?" These questions tell you what to build next. You're following actual user needs, not your imagination.

Step 8: Measure key metrics Measure how many people used it, how many times they reused it, if they're willing to pay. For a gym reservation app, "How many bookings per week?" "Does the same person make a second booking?" These are important. Looking at numbers makes success or failure clear.

Step 9: Keep improving or pivot If results are good, add features one by one. If results are poor, change direction. You might discover "We need trainer matching more than booking features." This is called a "Pivot." It's okay if it differs from the initial plan. It's not failure, it's learning.

Step 10: Invest seriously once validated If you've confirmed with MVP that "people really want this," then seriously develop and invest. Spend money on beautiful design, various features, and marketing. Since it's already validated, the failure rate is much lower.

Examples

Example 1: Dropbox Dropbox is a cloud storage service. The founder didn't initially build the actual product. Instead, he made a 3-minute demo video and posted it on YouTube. "How about this service?" The video showed files automatically syncing across multiple computers. The response was explosive. In one day, 5,000 people registered on the waiting list, eventually reaching 75,000. Only then did they start building the actual product. They validated the idea with one video. Much smarter than spending millions to build it and then saying "nobody uses it."

Example 2: Airbnb The Airbnb founders were struggling without rent money. They heard about a big conference in San Francisco where all hotels were booked. They put 3 air mattresses in their living room and made a website called "Air Bed and Breakfast" in one day. No complex system, just a few photos, contact info, payment in person. Three guests paid $80 per day. "This works?" They gradually expanded, and now it's a company worth tens of billions of dollars. If they'd built a perfect app from the start, they probably would have failed.

Example 3: Zappos (Shoe Shopping Mall) Zappos is an online shoe store. The founder wondered "Will people buy shoes online?" How to confirm? Test without stocking inventory. He went to neighborhood shoe stores, took photos of shoes, and posted them on a website. When orders came in? He went to that shoe store, bought at full price, and sent it to customers. He took a loss but learned something important: "People buy shoes online!" With that confidence, he built a proper shopping mall, eventually selling to Amazon for $1 billion. If he'd invested in warehouse, inventory, and systems from the start, it might have failed.

Example 4: Twitter Twitter was originally a podcast platform company. It didn't work well. Employees made a simple messaging tool for internal communication. Answering "What are you doing now?" briefly. Development time: 2 weeks. They tried it internally and it was fun. They opened it to friends and the response was good. "Hey, this is better than our main business?" They completely changed direction. They dropped podcasting and focused on Twitter. Without internal testing, they wouldn't have made this discovery. That's the MVP spirit.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Saves time and money - Instead of spending a year and millions on a complete product, you can test in 2 weeks with hundreds of thousands. Even if it fails, the loss is small
• Discover failure quickly - Much better to discover "this isn't it" in 2 weeks than "nobody uses it" after 6 months of building. Fail fast means learn fast and change fast
• Decide with actual data - Make decisions based on real user behavior, not imagination or guesses. "People will probably like this" vs "1,000 people actually used it" - which is more certain?

Cons

• Lower quality - MVP is literally minimal. There are bugs, poor design, and many inconveniences. Early users might be disappointed
• Risky in markets where first impression matters - In some markets, first impression is everything. In luxury brands, premium goods, or medical devices where safety is important, "let's just make it roughly first" doesn't work
• May need to rebuild later - What's quickly built as MVP has a weak foundation. When building a proper product later, you might have to start from scratch

FAQ

Q: Does MVP always have to be software or an app? A: Not at all! MVP is a way to test ideas, not necessarily a product. For example: 1) Landing page + email collection: "Would you be interested if this product came out?" and collect emails. 2) Manual service: Have people handle it manually before making an app. 3) Crowdfunding: Confirm demand through Kickstarter. 4) Offline event: Test for one day with a pop-up store. 5) Survey: Ask 100 people. Confirming "Do people want this?" in the fastest and cheapest way is MVP.

Q: How long should it take to build an MVP? A: Ideally 2-4 weeks. At the latest, you should have something testable within 2-3 months. If it takes more than 6 months, something's wrong. You're trying to include too many features. "We need this and that too..." and time just passes. Instead, reduce it to "This is all we need for it to work" level. Remove 80% of features and keep only 20%. You can add the rest after validation.

Q: My MVP is too shabby, I'm embarrassed? A: That's normal! MVPs are supposed to be shabby. Have you seen early Facebook, Apple's first products, or Amazon's early website? All shabby. What's important is not "perfect first impression" but "delivering core value." Early users understand. They might even cheer you on saying "It's still lacking but shows potential." However, the core functionality must work properly. Design can be poor, but promised features must be solid. If it's a "delivery time tracking app" but tracking doesn't work, that won't do.

Q: I tested with MVP but the response is poor. Should I give up? A: Not necessarily. First, analyze. 1) Is the idea itself poor? Or is the implementation poor? Ask users: "Is this idea itself unnecessary?" vs "It's good but this is inconvenient." 2) Was the target wrong? You might have shown it to college students when working people actually need it. 3) Was promotion insufficient? If only 10 people saw it, that's not enough testing. At least 100-1000 people need to see it. After checking these and trying 2-3 improvements without success, then move to another idea. Success on the first try is rare. Twitter also succeeded after pivoting.