When I first learned about the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach, I assumed it was mostly for scrappy startups or rushed deadlines. But over time, I’ve come to see it as something deeper—something strategic. Whether you're launching a new app or architecting an internal platform, the MVP is your best shot at building momentum without wasting time, energy, or trust.
Instead of betting everything on a perfect product, MVPs give us a way to listen. They give us a way to learn. And, if done right, they give us traction.
As Eric Ries explains in The Lean Startup, “The goal of a startup is to figure out the right thing to build—the thing customers want and will pay for—as quickly as possible.” That’s the heartbeat of MVP thinking.
What MVP Actually Means
A Minimum Viable Product is not a beta version. It’s not a pilot. It’s a product that solves a real problem with minimal features—just enough to provide value and learn what matters most.
Done right, MVPs:
Prevent overinvestment in unvalidated ideas
Focus on outcomes over output
Give teams fast, actionable feedback
And in complex environments, they help you avoid the trap of perfectionism, which, as James Clear puts it in Atomic Habits, is “just procrastination with a halo.”
The MVP Mindset: Build Less. Learn More.
An MVP is about making intentional trade-offs. This means:
Trimming features that don’t contribute to the core value
Delivering something that works—not something that wows
Designing with real constraints: budget, time, talent
It’s easy to conflate “valuable” with “complete.” But often, the most valuable thing you can ship is the thing that gets used today—not the perfect version that never launches.
Platform MVPs: Golden Paths, Not Golden Cages
MVP thinking also applies to internal platforms—especially in large engineering organizations. As emphasized in Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais, internal platforms should enable flow, not enforce rigid controls.
A Minimum Viable Platform (MVP) needs to be:
Representative of real team workflows
Repeatable across cohorts
Iterative, evolving based on feedback
Your internal developers should see themselves in the MVP. If they can’t recognize their tools, patterns, or problems in the platform you’re pitching, adoption will stall.
The MVP platform isn’t your final architecture—it’s your first useful abstraction.
MVP Failure Points—and How to Stay Clear
Here’s where many MVPs derail:
Overengineering before validation
Focusing on tools, not users
Treating MVP as a destination, not a phase
In The Mom Test, Rob Fitzpatrick reminds us that “It’s not your job to ask customers what they want. It’s your job to understand their problems.” MVPs help you shift from asking to observing—by putting something real in their hands.
One other point: without internal marketing and product ownership, even the best MVPs fade. The MVP isn’t just what you build—it’s how you sell it internally.
From MVP to Momentum
Once you’ve shipped a successful MVP, the path forward gets clearer. Iteration becomes easier. Feedback becomes sharper. You shift from guessing to guiding.
But the mindset doesn’t change. As Marty Cagan wrote in Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love, “Good teams define and measure success in terms of results, not output.” That starts with a smart MVP and scales through listening, learning, and leading with clarity.
Here’s what I’ve learned firsthand: MVPs aren’t about doing the least—they’re about doing the smartest. When we stop trying to prove how much we can build and start focusing on what people truly need, we gain something far more valuable than speed. We gain direction.
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About Tech Topics
Tech Topics is a newsletter with a focus on contemporary challenges and innovations in the workplace and the broader world of technology. Produced by Boston-based Conceptual Technology (http://www.conceptualtech.com), the articles explore various aspects of professional life, including workplace dynamics, evolving technological trends, job satisfaction, diversity and discrimination issues, and cybersecurity challenges. These themes reflect a keen interest in understanding and navigating the complexities of modern work environments and the ever-changing landscape of technology.
Tech Topics offers a multi-faceted view of the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of technology, work, and life. It prompts readers to think critically about how they interact with technology, both as professionals and as individuals. The publication encourages a holistic approach to understanding these challenges, emphasizing the need for balance, inclusivity, and sustainability in our rapidly changing world. As we navigate this landscape, the insights provided by these articles can serve as valuable guides in our quest to harmonize technology with the human experience.