Definition · also called minimum viable product
A minimum viable product (MVP) is the simplest version of a product that real customers can use, built to test the riskiest assumption, usually will people want this enough to use it or pay for it?, with the least effort.
The term is credited to Frank Robinson of SyncDev, around 2001, and was popularized by Steve Blank and Eric Ries, whose 2011 book The Lean Startup defines an MVP by how much validated learning about customers it produces. “Minimum” refers to effort, not quality: it should be small, but it should work.
Types of MVP
- Single-feature product: the one thing that matters, nothing else (most indie SaaS MVPs).
- Landing page or pre-sale: describe the product and take pre-orders or a waitlist before building.
- Concierge MVP: deliver the result manually for the first customers.
- Wizard of Oz: looks automated to the user, a human does it behind the scenes.
- No-code MVP: spreadsheets, Airtable, Zapier and a site builder glued together.
- Spreadsheet or list MVP: publish the data first (a Google Sheet, a GitHub list), build the product once people use it.
How to build an MVP as an indie maker
- Write down the one assumption the MVP must test.
- Time-box it: a weekend to four weeks. If it takes three months, it isn't minimal.
- Charge if you can. Payment is the strongest signal; free sign-ups are a weak one.
- Launch where your users are and talk to every early customer. See how to launch your product.
- Decide in advance what result means “continue”, so a slow first month doesn't kill a good idea or keep a bad one alive.
MVP in practice: how indie makers use it
How long MVPs in the directory took, and what happened next:
Built the first version of Baremetrics in about eight days in 2013. It later passed $1M in annual revenue and sold for $4M. (sources: saasclub.io, baremetrics.com)
Built the Unicorn Platform MVP in about 160 hours and launched it in July 2018; it eventually reached about $16K MRR and sold for $800K. (source: failory.com)
Built ScrapingBee as a minimum viable product in a few weeks in 2019 and landed the first paying customer within an hour of their first email. (source: scrapingbee.com)
Built and launched his design subscription over a single weekend in 2017 and landed customers within days. (source: highspirit.substack.com)
Built the Talknotes MVP in a week in August 2023; after a slow start it grew to about $7.5K MRR and sold for $200K. (source: jeannen.com)
Launched MentorCruise on Product Hunt with about ten mentors and made $37 in the first month. An MVP's first month says little about its ceiling. (source: starterstory.com)
Frequently asked questions
What does MVP mean in business?
MVP stands for minimum viable product: the simplest working version of a product that lets you learn whether customers want it, with the least effort.
Who invented the term minimum viable product?
It is credited to Frank Robinson of SyncDev around 2001 and was popularized by Steve Blank and Eric Ries, especially in Ries's 2011 book The Lean Startup.
How long should it take to build an MVP?
For an indie maker, usually a weekend to a few weeks. Examples in our directory range from a weekend (Designjoy) to about eight days (Baremetrics) to about 160 hours (Unicorn Platform).
What is the difference between an MVP and a prototype?
A prototype tests whether something can be built or how it should work, often without real users. An MVP is used by real customers to test whether they want it.
Related terms
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Maker examples are paraphrased from the cited sources and from each maker's IndieMakerList profile; revenue is self-reported unless marked verified. Spotted an error? Tell us.