MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

An MVP is the smallest working version of a product that includes only its core functionality, built to validate whether the direction is right at the lowest possible cost.

In custom software development, an MVP typically launches in 6-12 weeks and is used to validate whether the core functionality actually meets a real need. A common misconception is treating an MVP as a 'stripped-down final product' — its purpose is hypothesis validation, not feature-cutting, so scope should be built around the single most critical use case.