Lesson 5 Module 3: Prototyping & MVP
Prototype
Prototype is a kind of a solution demo that you build for a complex, technical product or
where feedback on the usage of a physical product is important.
Prototypes can be broadly divided into two main categories:
Physical prototype: It is a physical representation of an idea. A physical prototype can
be made from any material. For example, for an architectural venture, a scale model
of a building can help give a physical form to the designer’s idea.
Working prototype: It imitates the functions of the actual product and helps you test
the technical feasibility of the product. For example, Lightning, a motorcycle
manufacturer of premium electric bikes, makes some of the world’s fastest bikes but
tests the prototypes for years before releasing it for production.
A working prototype can also help you gather feedback from users. Imagine you want
feedback from users on a shampoo bottle. Before you launch the shampoo, you might want to
prototype 5 types of bottles and see which works best for users.
MVP
A minimum viable product (MVP) is an early version of a product, such as a SaaS (software
as a service) application, that is designed to ensure that product vision and strategy are
aligned with market needs.
Typically, an MVP delivers just enough functionality and value to appeal to early adopters
and other innovators. It’s also not an idea that exists only on paper (or slides), or a raw
demonstration of a proof-of-concept.
Instead, the term “MVP” suggests something very specific:
Minimum: the smallest number of capabilities, features and packaging that …
Viable: deliver enough value that customers are willing to spend money (or another
currency such as personal information) …
Product: on something they can use today … not just invest in a future concept,
promise or offer.
The goals of an MVP are to validate the premise of a product, to test hypotheses about market
needs, to make adjustments to the product vision, and to prioritize where to invest in future
development. As such, MVPs are a profoundly powerful approach towards finding product-
market fit.
MVPs mitigate the risk of spending time and money developing a product only to find no one
has any interest in it when it’s released.
What's the End Goal?
Prototype
Prototype is a kind of a solution demo that you build for a complex, technical product or
where feedback on the usage of a physical product is important.
Prototypes can be broadly divided into two main categories:
Physical prototype: It is a physical representation of an idea. A physical prototype can
be made from any material. For example, for an architectural venture, a scale model
of a building can help give a physical form to the designer’s idea.
Working prototype: It imitates the functions of the actual product and helps you test
the technical feasibility of the product. For example, Lightning, a motorcycle
manufacturer of premium electric bikes, makes some of the world’s fastest bikes but
tests the prototypes for years before releasing it for production.
A working prototype can also help you gather feedback from users. Imagine you want
feedback from users on a shampoo bottle. Before you launch the shampoo, you might want to
prototype 5 types of bottles and see which works best for users.
MVP
A minimum viable product (MVP) is an early version of a product, such as a SaaS (software
as a service) application, that is designed to ensure that product vision and strategy are
aligned with market needs.
Typically, an MVP delivers just enough functionality and value to appeal to early adopters
and other innovators. It’s also not an idea that exists only on paper (or slides), or a raw
demonstration of a proof-of-concept.
Instead, the term “MVP” suggests something very specific:
Minimum: the smallest number of capabilities, features and packaging that …
Viable: deliver enough value that customers are willing to spend money (or another
currency such as personal information) …
Product: on something they can use today … not just invest in a future concept,
promise or offer.
The goals of an MVP are to validate the premise of a product, to test hypotheses about market
needs, to make adjustments to the product vision, and to prioritize where to invest in future
development. As such, MVPs are a profoundly powerful approach towards finding product-
market fit.
MVPs mitigate the risk of spending time and money developing a product only to find no one
has any interest in it when it’s released.
What's the End Goal?
