{"id":25623,"date":"2026-03-03T22:27:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/glossary\/mvp-minimum-viable-product\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T15:43:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T13:43:20","slug":"mvp-minimum-viable-product","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/mvp-minimum-viable-product\/","title":{"rendered":"MVP (Minimum Viable Product)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- TL;DR Box --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#f0f1f3;padding:1.2em 1.5em;margin-bottom:2em;border-radius:8px;\">\n<strong>Key takeaways:<\/strong> The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is the simplest functional version of a product that is sufficient to test key market hypotheses. Instead of spending months developing a perfect product, the MVP quickly delivers a learning version to the customer\u2014a core concept of the Lean Startup methodology.\n<\/div>\n<nav style=\"background:#f9f9f9;padding:1.5rem 2rem;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:2rem;\">\n<strong style=\"font-size:1.1rem;\">Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol style=\"margin:0.75rem 0 0;padding-left:1.25rem;\">\n<li><a href=\"#definition\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">What is an MVP?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#zweck\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Why an MVP?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#arten\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">MVP Types and Examples<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#entwicklung\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Developing an MVP: Step by Step<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#abgrenzung\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">MVP vs. Prototype vs. Pilot<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#fehler\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Common MVP Mistakes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Frequently Asked Questions about MVP<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h2 id=\"definition\">What is an MVP?<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Minimum Viable Product (MVP)<\/strong> is the minimally functional version of a product or service that offers just enough features to be used by real customers and provide valuable feedback. The concept was popularized by Eric Ries in the <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/lean-startup\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Lean Startup method<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>The core: An MVP is not a half-finished product, but a learning experiment. It answers the question: &#8220;Does our solution actually solve a problem that customers are willing to pay for?&#8221; \u2013 with minimal effort and maximum insight. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"zweck\">Why an MVP?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Reduce risk:<\/strong> Instead of investing months in a product nobody wants, test the core hypothesis early.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Learn faster:<\/strong> Real customer feedback beats any market research \u2013 the MVP puts you into the build-measure-learn loop.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Conserve resources:<\/strong> Invest minimally until the direction is validated \u2013 especially important for <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/startup\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">startups<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/mittelstand-innovation\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">SMEs with limited budgets<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Find <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/product-market-fit\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Product-Market Fit<\/a> faster:<\/strong> An iterative approach shortens the path to the right solution.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Convince investors:<\/strong> An MVP with real users and data strengthens any <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/pitch-deck\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">pitch deck<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"arten\">MVP Types and Examples<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Landing Page MVP:<\/strong> A website describes the product and measures interest through sign-ups \u2013 before anything is built.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Concierge MVP:<\/strong> The service is provided manually and personally \u2013 simulating the solution before it is automated.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wizard-of-Oz MVP:<\/strong> The interface appears automated but is operated manually in the background.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Single-Feature MVP:<\/strong> Only the most important feature is built \u2013 everything else is omitted.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Crowdfunding MVP:<\/strong> A campaign video tests demand and simultaneously raises funding.<\/li>\n<li><strong>No-Code MVP:<\/strong> A functional solution is created without programming, using tools like Bubble, Webflow, or Zapier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Well-known MVPs: Dropbox (explainer video), Zappos (manual shoe shipping), Airbnb (own apartment on event website). All started minimally and scaled only after validation. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"entwicklung\">Developing an MVP: Step by Step<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Validate the problem:<\/strong> Is there a real problem? Conduct <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/jobs-to-be-done-jtbd\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Jobs-to-be-Done<\/a> interviews and <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/target-audience-analysis\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">target group analysis<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Formulate the core hypothesis:<\/strong> What exactly do you want to test? &#8220;We believe that [target group] has [problem] and is willing to pay for [solution]&#8221; <\/li>\n<li><strong>Define scope:<\/strong> What is the absolute minimum functionality? Eliminate everything that does not contribute to the core hypothesis. <\/li>\n<li><strong>Build quickly:<\/strong> Utilize <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/prototyping\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">rapid prototyping<\/a> and no-code tools \u2013 weeks, not months.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Give to real customers:<\/strong> Do not test within the team, but with the actual <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/buyer-persona\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">target group<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Measure:<\/strong> Evaluate defined success metrics \u2013 usage, retention, willingness to pay.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decide:<\/strong> Iterate (improve), <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/pivot\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">pivot<\/a> (change direction), or <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/scaling\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">scale<\/a> (grow)?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"abgrenzung\">MVP vs. Prototype vs. Pilot<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Prototype:<\/strong> A test model for learning \u2013 does not have to be functional or market-ready. Tests the idea (<a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/prototyping\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">\u2192 Prototyping<\/a>). <\/li>\n<li><strong>MVP:<\/strong> A minimally functional version for real customers \u2013 tests the business model and willingness to pay.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pilot:<\/strong> A limited market test with the (almost) finished product \u2013 tests scalability and operations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The three concepts build upon each other: Prototype \u2192 MVP \u2192 Pilot \u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/scaling\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Scale<\/a>. Each stage validates a different level of the <a href=\"\/glossar\/geschaeftsmodell-innovation\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">business model<\/a>. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"fehler\">Common MVP Mistakes<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Too much &#8220;V&#8221;, too little &#8220;M&#8221;:<\/strong> Overengineering \u2013 if the MVP takes months to develop, it is not an MVP<\/li>\n<li><strong>Too little &#8220;V&#8221;:<\/strong> So minimal that customers do not recognize any value \u2013 the &#8220;Viable&#8221; is just as important as the &#8220;Minimum&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Features instead of hypotheses:<\/strong> An MVP tests a hypothesis, not a feature set.<\/li>\n<li><strong>No real customer feedback:<\/strong> Team feedback and friends&#8217; opinions do not replace a real market test.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build once and forget:<\/strong> An MVP is the start of an iterative process, not the end product.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wrong metrics:<\/strong> It&#8217;s not just &#8220;likes&#8221; that count \u2013 willingness to pay and retention are the real validation signals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- CTA Box --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,#1e3a5f,#2563eb);color:#fff;padding:2rem;border-radius:12px;margin:2rem 0;text-align:center;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#fff;margin-top:0;\">Would you like to test your business idea quickly and efficiently in the market?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size:1.1rem;\">We support you from hypothesis to MVP to product-market fit \u2013 with proven Lean Startup methods.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/business-model-innovation-services\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#fff;color:#1e3a5f;padding:0.75rem 2rem;border-radius:8px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;margin-top:0.5rem;\">\u2192 Schedule a consultation now<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- FAQ --><\/p>\n<div class=\"faq-section\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\">\n<div>\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/h2>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">How long should MVP development take?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p>Ideally 2\u20138 weeks. A landing page MVP can be ready in a day, a no-code MVP in 1\u20132 weeks. If MVP development takes longer than 3 months, the scope is too large. Radically cut features \u2013 the MVP only needs to test the core hypothesis.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">Can I also create an MVP for services?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p>Yes \u2013 and it works particularly well. A concierge MVP for services means: providing the service manually and personally for a few test customers. You learn directly from the customer what works and can iteratively improve the service before investing in scaling.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">When is an MVP successful?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p>An MVP is successful when it clearly confirms or refutes the core hypothesis \u2013 regardless of the outcome. Even a failed MVP is valuable if it shows early on that the direction is wrong. The best success indicators: willingness to pay, return rate, and the statement &#8220;I would be very disappointed if this no longer existed.&#8221;  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">Does a simple MVP harm the brand image?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p>Only if you communicate it incorrectly. Transparency helps: &#8220;We are in the beta phase and are looking for early adopters&#8221; attracts the right test customers. Early adopters do not expect perfection \u2013 they want innovation. For premium brands, a concierge MVP can even enhance the personal touch.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;padding:0;margin-bottom:0.75rem;\">\n<summary style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;list-style:none;\">What should an MVP minimally be able to do?<\/summary>\n<div style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem 1.2rem;\">An MVP must validate the core promise of your value proposition \u2013 nothing more, nothing less. It should solve the main problem of your early adopters but can compromise on secondary functions, design, or scalability. Dropbox started with a simple video instead of working software, Zappos photographed shoes in stores and only bought them after orders came in. The rule: if you&#39;re not a bit embarrassed by your MVP, you waited too long. The goal is learning, not impressing.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Verwandte Begriffe --><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top:2.5em;padding-top:1.5em;border-top:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">\n<strong>Related terms:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;margin-top:0.5rem;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/lean-startup\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Lean Startup<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/product-market-fit\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Product-Market Fit<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/prototyping\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Prototyping<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/pivot\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Pivot<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/startup\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Startup<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"\/glossar\/geschaeftsmodell-innovation\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Business Model Innovation<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/design-thinking\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Design Thinking<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/agile-methods\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Agile Methods<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/scaling\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Scaling<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/venture-building\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">Venture Building<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key takeaways: The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is the simplest functional version of a product that is sufficient to test key market hypotheses. Instead of spending months developing a perfect&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24529,"parent":25140,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-25623","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Point-of-New-Business-Model-Innovation-Benedikt-Hasibeder-scaled.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25623"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28293,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25623\/revisions\/28293"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}