What is an MVP and how do you build one?

An MVP (minimum viable product) is the first version of a product that lets you learn, with the least effort, whether real users want what you are building. The goal is not a perfect product but a fast test of your most critical assumption.

Why an MVP matters

• It stops you spending months on something nobody wants.
• It gets you early feedback from customers.
• It gives investors evidence beyond the idea. At the early stage the question investors ask most is "Who is using this?"

Start with the assumption

Before building, answer this: what is the riskiest assumption that must be true for this business to work? For example, "Small businesses will pay a monthly fee to issue invoices this way." The MVP is designed to confirm or disprove it.

Types of MVP

Landing page

A page describing the product with a sign-up or pre-order button. The fastest way to measure interest.

Concierge MVP

You deliver the service manually, without automation. Ideal for understanding the problem deeply with a few customers.

Wizard of Oz MVP

Users think they are using an automated product, but work is done by hand behind the scenes. You test behaviour without technical investment.

Single-feature product

You ship one working feature that solves the core problem. The most common type for software startups.

No-code prototype

Form, spreadsheet and automation tools can produce a working version in days rather than weeks.

What goes in?

1. Write the user's core problem in one sentence.
2. List the must-have steps to solve it.
3. Move everything else to a "later" list: advanced settings, integrations, multiple languages, detailed reports.
4. The experience can be simple but must be reliable. A buggy product tests the execution, not the idea.

How to measure success

Define success before launch:

• What share of sign-ups actually use the product?
• Do users come back after a week or a month (retention)?
• Is anyone willing to pay?
• Do users recommend it to others?

See our guide to the metrics investors look at for details.

Common mistakes

• Building too much: delaying launch for months with "one more feature"
• Testing with the wrong audience: asking only friends and family
• Not collecting data: interpreting without measuring behaviour
• Ignoring a negative result: if the assumption fails, a pivot is learning, not failure

After the MVP

If users use the product regularly and start paying, you are approaching product-market fit. You are then in a strong position to meet angel investors or apply to incubation and acceleration programmes. You can list your startup on Türkiye Startups for free.