Building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a crucial step for any startup. Before you dive into development, consider these ten essential questions to ensure your MVP is strategically sound and positioned for success.
 

1. What specific problem does your product solve?

Before writing a single line of code or designing any interface, clearly articulate the problem you're addressing. The more specific and well-defined the problem, the more focused your MVP will be.

Ask yourself:

• Can you explain the problem in a single, clear sentence?

• Is this a problem people know they have?

• How painful or urgent is this problem for your target users?

• How are people currently solving this problem?
   

2. Who exactly is your target user?

A common mistake is building for "everyone." Successful MVPs are laser-focused on a specific user segment.

Ask yourself:

• Can you describe your ideal user in detail (demographics, behaviours, needs)?

• Do you have access to this user group for feedback?

• Is this user segment large enough to support your business but focused enough to have specific needs?

• Are these users likely early adopters who will tolerate an early-stage product?
   

3. What is the absolute minimum feature set needed?

The "minimum" in MVP is crucial. Each additional feature increases development time, complexity, and potential points of failure.

Ask yourself:

• If you could only build three features, which would they be?

• Which features directly address the core problem?

• Which features can be handled manually in the background while validating demand?

• What features are users likely to request but aren't essential for proving your concept?
   

4. What specific hypothesis are you testing?

Your MVP should be designed to test clear hypotheses about your business model and value proposition.

Ask yourself:

• What are the key assumptions underlying your business idea?

• Which of these assumptions carry the most risk if wrong?

• How will your MVP specifically test these assumptions?

• What metrics will indicate success or failure?
   

5. How will you measure success?

Without clear success metrics, you won't know if your MVP is working.

Ask yourself:

• What are the 3-5 key metrics that will indicate product-market fit?

• What user behaviours would validate your core value proposition?

• What is the minimum threshold of engagement that suggests your solution is working?

• How long will you need to collect data before drawing conclusions?
   

6. What is your feedback collection strategy?

An MVP without a feedback plan is just a product release.

Ask yourself:

• How will you systematically collect user feedback?

• What specific questions do you need answers to?

• How will you distinguish between what users say and what they actually do?

• Do you have mechanisms to capture both quantitative and qualitative feedback?
   

7. How quickly can you iterate after launch?

The point of an MVP is to learn and adapt quickly.

Ask yourself:

• Is your development process set up for rapid iterations?

• Do you have technical capabilities to push updates quickly?

• Have you established a cadence for reviewing feedback and implementing changes?

• Is your team aligned on prioritising learning over perfection?
   

8. What are your resource constraints?

Understanding your limitations helps shape a realistic MVP approach.

Ask yourself:

• What is your runway and how much can you allocate to the MVP?

• What technical skills exist in your team versus what you'll need to outsource?

• How much time can you realistically devote to development before needing market validation?

• What tools and infrastructure are essential versus nice-to-have?
   

9. How will users discover your MVP?

Even the best product fails if no one finds it.

Ask yourself:

• What is your go-to-market strategy for the MVP?

• How will you reach your first 10, 100, and 1,000 users?

• What channels can you leverage with limited resources?

• Do you have a compelling hook to attract initial users despite limited functionality?
   

10. What could kill your MVP?

Anticipating failure points helps you mitigate risks.

Ask yourself:

• What technical issues could severely impact the user experience?

• Are there regulatory or compliance issues that could become obstacles?

• What competitor actions could undermine your value proposition?

• Are there any assumptions in your business model that, if wrong, would make the entire concept unviable?
   

Conclusion:

Answering these questions honestly before building your MVP will help you create a more focused, effective product that genuinely tests your business hypothesis. Remember that an MVP isn't about building a stripped-down version of your eventual vision—it's about building the smartest possible vehicle for learning what your eventual vision should be.

 

The goal isn't perfection but validation: confirming that you're solving a real problem that people care about enough to use your solution, even in its earliest form.

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This resource complements DDB Venture Capital's guidance on building successful startups. We believe that asking the right questions early leads to stronger companies and better investment outcomes.

DDBVC Round Table. Published, 3rd of April 2025

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