When should someone not build an MVP?

One should not build an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) in the following scenarios:

When the market is already saturated and there are many similar products available. In this case, launching an MVP might not provide any new insights.

When the product is highly complex and requires a full feature set to provide any value to the user. An MVP might not be able to demonstrate the full potential of the product.

When the product is targeted towards a niche market that is already well-served. An MVP might not be able to attract enough users for meaningful feedback.

When the product is based on a fad or trend that is likely to pass quickly. By the time the MVP is ready, the trend might have passed.

When the product involves high risk or high cost for the user. In such cases, users might not be willing to try an MVP.

Remember, the purpose of an MVP is to learn about the market and user needs with the least effort. If these can be learned in other ways, an MVP might not be necessary.

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This is useful for products who have two or more different customer types, such as a marketplace app like Airbnb where there are hosts and travelers who both need to be serviced. The layout takes into account the evolution of a product, from initial inception, to earliest testable product and its multiple iterations, to the MVP, and finally, to a more refined product loved by the crowd.

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Minimum Viable Product (Part 2)

How can you tell if a product idea will work out? This Minimum Viable Product presentation guides the initial triage of tasks to the development and e...

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