No. 146 · Work · Economics
Minimum Viable Product
Build the smallest thing that works, then learn before investing more.
In the Almanac
“Twelve seconds at Kitty Hawk”, 1903 · “Dropbox”, 2008
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
Get the AlmanacListen · Watch
Questions
What is Minimum Viable Product?
A Minimum Viable Product is the simplest version of an idea that still gives early users real value. Its purpose is learning: testing your riskiest assumption cheaply before you pour in serious time and money.
How do you use Minimum Viable Product?
Use it everywhere. Try a career with a weekend of volunteering, test a side business with a dozen products, or start a habit at ten minutes a day. Then listen to what the real world tells you, and build from there.
When does Minimum Viable Product matter?
Minimum Viable Product is one of the 43 mental models for work, the situations where you ask: How do I get the right things done? Within that, it belongs to “Finishing, not polishing”, alongside Hofstadter’s Law, Mythical Man-Month and Perfect is the Enemy of Good.
What is an example of Minimum Viable Product?
Two stories show it at work: Twelve seconds at Kitty Hawk (1903) and Dropbox (2008). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Minimum Viable Product?
A/B Testing, Product/Market Fit and Perfect is the Enemy of Good. Minimum Viable Product itself comes from economics.