What is an MVP (minimum viable product)?

An MVP is the simplest version of your software that solves the core problem and can be tested with real users.

Instead of building every feature you envision, you launch with just the essential functionality, gather feedback, and iterate based on actual usage data. This approach reduces risk, saves money, and gets your product to market faster. A typical MVP takes 6–12 weeks and costs $10,000–$30,000. It includes the core feature set, basic UI, and enough polish to be usable. MVPs are valuable because they validate your idea before you invest heavily - many features you think are essential turn out to be unnecessary once real users interact with the product.