Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Definition

An MVP is the smallest version of a product that tests the core value hypothesis with real users, built to learn rather than to scale.

In 2026, AI tooling collapsed MVP costs so far that having one is assumed; pre-seed investors expect a live product, not a plan for one.

How minimal should an MVP be?

Minimal enough to ship in weeks, complete enough that a user experiences the core value; everything else is deferred.

Is an MVP enough to raise on?

An MVP plus pull (a waitlist, engaged pilots, first revenue) is the pre-seed bar; an MVP alone rarely differentiates anymore.

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