Defining an MVP

Propose the problem(s) you want to solve

Before you do any development you should have an idea/ideas of the ‘problem’ you want to solve. These may have come from user feedback, evolving industry standards or targeted user groups.

Conduct discovery activities

When you kick off the discovery phase this might be done on a dedicated discovery day.

Do User Story Mapping

The purpose of User Story Mapping is to visually map out all the different ‘key journeys’ detailing all of the steps a user takes within that journey. The outcome of this exercise is to create a feature list which can then be prioritised using some of the methodologies listed below. From this prioritisation an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is formed.

User Story Mapping can be done in person using sticky notes, or virtually using tools such as Stories on Board, Avion or even the User Story Template on Miro.

Exercises

To help a group of stakeholders get into the right mindset for a journey mapping exercise and think like a user, the following exercises can be carried out.

• Describe the steps involved with making a cup of tea.
• Describe all the steps leaving the house and going to work in the morning, then redescribe the steps if your alarm didn’t go off and you were half an hour late.

Prioritisation Methods

There are a variety of methods (MoSCoW, Kano Model etc.) that can be used to help proritise what features get developed for MVP. Understanding the key Business Drivers behind a product development should be a prerequisite before embarking on prioritization activities.

Business Drivers

When understanding the value (and therefore priority) of a feature it can be useful to be able to objectively score it against a list of business drivers. For example if ‘an increase in job applications’ is a key business driver all features that support that should be prioritised. Some prioritization methods can be used in conjunction with a scoring matrix of Business Drivers to help in the process.

MoSCoW Prioritization

MoSCoW Prioritization (Must have, Should have, Could have and Won’t have this time) is a technique used to understand and manage priorities. Using this technique all features are graded so that it is clear what needs to be developed for the project to be a success. Using it helps to define a ‘Minimum Viable Product’ (MVP).

Kano Model

The Kano Model is a prioritization method that identifies which features bring high-satisfaction to their customers.

WSJF

WSJF – Weighted Shortest Job First, is a prioritisation method, where 2 metrics; the Cost of Delay of not implementing a feature and the estimated job duration of that feature are divided by each other to produce a score.

This method identifies the features that are the ‘easiest’ to implement, but have the highest impact if they are not implemented.

Value Stream Mapping

Is a lean technique to analyze, design, and manage the flow of materials and information required to bring a product to a customer.