Do You Need an MVP? How About MMP Or MMR?

And what about MMF, MLP, MDP or MAP? SLC anyone?

I’ll spare you the trouble:
MMP — minimum marketable product
MMR — minimum marketable release
MMF — minimum marketable feature
MLP — minimum loveable product
MDP — minimum delightful product
MAP — minimum awesome product
MVP — you know this one,
SLC — simple, loveable, complete.
(not even kidding — see links)

It’s all a little MAD.
(As in ‘Mad Men’.)

And when you’ve got so many acronyms to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you?

Here’s an idea: strip it all down.

First principles is your one and only true friend.

When you build a digital product, you innovate.

You create something new to solve a problem or problems.

Your product provides a service for which users are willing to reward you.

Ideally (if you want your venture to succeed), you integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of tech, and the requirements for business success.

That’s Design Thinking as defined by IDEO.

In other words:
⇢ Is there a need for what you build? DESIRABILITY
⇢ Is there a commercial value? VIABILITY
⇢ Can you build it? FEASIBILITY

As you build your product, you test a series of assumptions.

No point testing whether the thing is desirable if you can’t build it.
Little point testing whether it’s viable if nobody wants it.

So, forget the acronyms. Focus on the fundamentals:

Understand your users, build something they need, and make it work.

That’s the real MVP.