Testing an idea
MVP development for hypothesis testing
For founders and teams who need to test an idea before expanding development. We first establish what we need to learn and which result will influence the decision.
What we are testing
Hypothesis
Who needs the product, which task it supports and which user action would demonstrate interest. We separate assumptions from what is already known.
Decision after the test
Which result would justify continuing, changing the approach or stopping. MVP scope follows the evidence needed to make that decision.
A first version for the test
Prototype
Check understanding of the offer and journey logic before building a working product.
- Main journey
- Key screens
- Questions for the test
Working MVP
Let early users complete one intended action and learn where the journey succeeds or breaks.
- One main path
- Necessary data
- A way to gather feedback
Demo
Show the solution to a customer, partner or investor. Clearly identify which functions work and which are simulated.
- Demo journey
- Key interactions
- Explicit assumptions
How we choose the scope
The MVP includes what is needed for the chosen test. Accounts, payments, automation and full infrastructure are added when essential to getting the answer. Recruitment, interviews and analytics are discussed as separate tasks.
How we test the idea
- 01Hypothesis and criteria
Agree the audience, expected action and decision to make from the results. Choose a prototype, demo or working version.
- 02Journey and implementation
I design the key path and lead implementation of the necessary scope. Assumptions and manual operations remain explicit.
- 03Checks and next step
I check the version works. We gather feedback under the agreed plan and decide what to investigate or develop next.
Product experience for early versions
An MVP provides evidence for a product-development decision. The test, user participation and outcome criteria are agreed separately from the development scope.
More
Related tasks
When a project involves several tasks, we agree the sequence and the scope of the first version.
Website
Business websites
Explain your offer and help visitors make an enquiry: a company website, landing page or redesign.
For customers
Customer web services and aggregators
Help customers find, compare and choose an offer or complete a task in a web service.
For teams
Internal services
Bring requests, approvals or tracking into a working tool with clear roles and statuses.