How to Define MVP Scope: Tips for Those Planning Development

Starting with a minimum viable product is a smart move for many teams looking to validate their ideas quickly and cost-effectively. But defining the MVP scope? That's where things often go off the rails. The temptation to cram in just one more feature or tweak can blur the lines of what "minimum" really means, leaving teams juggling an overly ambitious to-do list that derails timelines and budgets. 

When the scope isn't well-defined, MVP development can quickly spiral out of control. Teams find themselves dealing with delayed timelines, overstretched budgets, and creeping frustration. It might not seem obvious at first, but every "small" addition, every "quick" extra feature, or shift in priorities adds up, turning a lean project into a lengthy and costly one. Bottom line: without a clear scope, you risk losing focus on the purpose of your minimum viable product to deliver a concise, value-driven solution to test your core idea.

So, how do you set up clear boundaries and define the scope effectively? In this article, we'll walk you through essential tips, actionable strategies, and insights to help you outline a focused, achievable MVP scope that matches your vision.

What Is MVP Scope?

According to the minimum viable product scope definition, it's a structured plan designed to outline the scope of work ahead by setting tangible benchmarks and clear priorities. It focuses on identifying and listing the most critical features needed for the initial version of the product while laying the groundwork for future iterations. This ensures that the team aligns on what to build, when to deliver it, and how to allocate resources smartly, creating an MVP roadmap that keeps the project focused and efficient.

Moreover, the minimum viable product scope breaks down the development process into manageable phases, each with its own set of deliverables. It's like splitting a big task into bite-sized chunks, making the entire journey simpler to navigate.

This approach makes it easier to decide what's in-scope and should be brought to life first and what to put in the backlog and take care of later in the after MVP phases. It lets you adjust priorities as needed, ensure that each phase adds measurable value, and track progress afterward.

A well-thought-out MVP scope template also takes into account the team members involved, the methodologies they'll use, and even the budget and performance expectations. By laying everything out at the start, you can:

• pinpoint what's truly essential for the first release;
• avoid feature bloat;
• set realistic goals;
• spot potential risks;
• optimize resources;
• uncover ways to cut costs;
• find how to refine your approach.

In short, defining the scope ahead early on isn't just a box to check – it's a way to stay organized and ready to deliver a product that solves real problems without unnecessary detours.

When to Decide on the MVP Scope

The best time to decide on the minimum viable product scope is during the discovery phase before development officially begins. This is the phase where the team should align on the product's core objectives, identify key features, and determine what's truly essential for the first release.

By focusing on what you found out during proof of concept (POC) and while working on market research you can ensure that you're solving the right problem before committing to full development. The discovery stage allows you to initiate thorough planning and verify that you'll build the product's early version optimally.

Why MVP Scoping Matters

Clarifying the MVP scope is like setting the rules for a game, as it keeps everyone on track, focused on winning, and prevents things from turning into chaos. Without it, you're basically playing pin the tail on the donkey with your product blindfolded. Sure, it's fun for a minute, but soon you'll be dizzy, frustrated, and way off course. 

The minimum viable product scope helps you keep things simple, aligned with your goals, and ensures that you're hitting the market on time and within budget. Failing to properly define the product, on the other hand, can lead to too many fatal MVP mistakes such as wasted resources, missed deadlines, and products that fail to meet user needs.

Here are ten reasons why scoping an MVP is important. By defining a clear minimum viable product scope, you:

1. Focus on the "need-to-have" features that address your users' pain points and core challenges your business aims to solve.

2. Ensure strategic feature prioritization, balancing immediate needs with long-term goals to optimize development efforts and stick to a budget.

3. Deliver value quickly by launching essential functionality that aligns with your product goals.

4. Establish a clear and actionable roadmap that keeps your development team on track.

5. Prevent feature overload and maintain a manageable backlog for smoother project execution.

6. Allocate resources efficiently, reducing MVP costs and avoiding unnecessary rework or distractions caused by unplanned features.

7. Encourage collaboration by involving team members from various disciplines in the scoping process.

8. Foster better decision-making by aligning stakeholders and reducing conflicts during planning.

9. Minimize biases and avoid deadlocks caused by competing opinions or conflicting priorities.

10. Uncover valuable insights and identify gaps to enhance the project's overall success.

How to Determine the MVP Scope

So, how do you determine the scope of your MVP? Figuring out which features to include can be challenging, as they need to address key user needs while keeping the product lean and focused. But scoping goes beyond just feature selection, as it also involves defining clear goals, structuring the project, aligning stakeholders, and ensuring optimal resource allocation. To help you get started, here's how to scope an MVP in 7 steps to ensure you focus on what matters most and bring your idea to life efficiently.

Step 1: Focus on the Problem and the Project Goals

Begin scoping your MVP by zeroing in on the users and their needs. A user-first mindset lays the groundwork for building a product that resonates. If you haven't done so by now, start by conducting research to understand your target audience's concerns and challenges. Creating detailed user personas can help you visualize who your ideal customers are and what problems your product should address.

Don't forget to engage in competitive landscape analysis to check out which solutions are already out there. Dive into user reviews on platforms like G2 or Product Hunt to uncover where current solutions fall short and learn what you can about them to find out why they're good. Skipping this step could mean reinventing the wheel. For instance, if competitors struggle with clunky interfaces, this is your chance to shine by making your MVP design sleek and user-friendly. 

Once you've identified the issues and written out a product problem statement, think about how your product can offer solutions that are faster or more effective than what's already available. 

Step 2: List of Priority Features for the MVP

With your user needs and goals in mind, it's time to identify the key features that will form the backbone of your minimum viable product. Start by listing all potential features that could address the problems you've uncovered. Don't worry about narrowing them down just yet – this step is about brainstorming and capturing possibilities.

Once you have your list, group the features into sets based on their purpose or functionality. Examine each set and each feature individually, asking:

• Would the product work without this?
• Is this feature crucial for the first MVP launch?

Focus on features that answer "yes" to these questions. Features that are secondary or nice to have can be set aside for future iterations. The goal is to concentrate on solving the user's main problems and achieving your business objectives. Remember, the first draft of your MVP scope doesn't have to be perfect, it's just a starting point you can refine over time.

Here's an MVP scope example: imagine you're building a shopping list app designed to help users organize their groceries and plan meals. At the start, do you really need advanced features like barcode scanning or integration with multiple grocery delivery services? Or would a more basic version with the ability to create lists, categorize items, and suggest recipes based on user preferences be enough to launch and gather feedback from early users? 

Use the obtained insights to refine your approach and emphasize only the essential functionality. These core MVP features are the ones that should take center stage in your scope. This way, you avoid wasting time and resources on unnecessary features while keeping your MVP development process streamlined and cost-effective. 

Step 3: Think Through the Technical Details

At this stage, it's important to consider the technical aspects of your MVP. These aren't choices you can just guess at, so it's time to bring in your CTO and developers or get advice from people who really know their stuff. Let's take a look at the key technical decisions you'll need to make.

Start by asking yourself about the technology stack: what programming languages, databases, frameworks, and tools will be best suited for your product? Ensure that your tech stack supports both current requirements and potential future growth.

Next, think about how you'll build the key features: are all of them going to be custom-built, or can some be implemented using third-party integrations? Leveraging existing services can save time and resources, so identify what can be built faster via modifying ready-made solutions, external tools, or platforms.

It's also vital to clearly define your system requirements, infrastructure, and other technical aspects. What type of hosting do you need? What are your data storage and security requirements? These are all essential to ensure your MVP runs smoothly from day one.

Plus, even though you're building an MVP, don't neglect scalability. Your architecture and infrastructure should be designed with growth in mind. This way, your solution can scale as user demand increases, without major overhauls down the line.

As you work through these decisions, consider how they fit into the bigger picture. Will they provide flexibility for future updates? Keep in mind that you want to create a smooth, adaptable MVP that can grow and improve based on user feedback.

Step 4: Decide What Is In-Scope

Now that you've outlined your features and addressed technical considerations, it's time to decide whether you truly need an extended functionality for your first launch. The key question is: do features A and B cover your core value proposition, or is it essential to include C and D as well?

For starters, try to focus on what your users truly need from day one. If features A and B already deliver the main value your users need, adding C and D might not be necessary at the moment. Sure, they might make the product look more impressive, but if they're just "nice-to-haves" and not "must-haves", are they worth the extra effort? Adding more features might delay your launch, make development trickier, or force you to stray away from the agile MVP approach. And that's not what you want for a first release.

This step is all about making a clear, confident call. What's really needed for launch? If A and B get the job done, stick with them and all the steps you'll need to bring them to life. Finalize your list of in-scope essentials, and don't be afraid to park the extras for later updates. A focused, streamlined launch is almost always better – it gets you to market faster, keeps things manageable, and leaves room for growth when you're ready to add more.

Step 5: Create a Feature Backlog for Out-of-Scope

When figuring out the scope of your MVP, you'll naturally generate a lot of ideas for features. Many of these won't make it into the first version of your minimum viable product, but that doesn't mean they're worthless. Instead of losing track of them, set up a feature backlog specifically for not in scope ideas.

Start by listing every feature that doesn't qualify as a must-have for your MVP but could possibly be good for making its consequent minimum lovable product version. Don't stress about organizing them the right way, as this step is about capturing ideas so nothing gets overlooked. 

Once you have your list, create a simple system for categorizing these features. For instance, you can group them by function (like user experience, integrations, analytics) or by the source of the idea (e.g. user feedback, team brainstorming, competitor research).

A feature backlog doesn't have to be complicated. You can use tools like Trello, Notion, or even a spreadsheet to keep it in order. Add notes for each feature, such as why it's currently out of scope, its potential value, or any dependencies it might have. These details will be helpful when revisiting the backlog later.

Step 6: Estimate the Needed Workforce and Costs

When it comes to figuring out your project's workforce and costs, it's crucial to start with the basics: who do you need, and what will they be doing? Think about the specific roles required and estimate how many people it'll take to hit your milestones.

In addition to personnel, you should also factor in costs for services, third-party integrations, and other expenses, typically calculated based on monthly usage. All of these are integral budget components.

Break the project into manageable phases, and calculate how much effort and resources each step will require. Stay realistic about what can be accomplished given your limitations. For example, if funds are limited, prioritize a smaller set of features that can be developed and launched faster. And don't skip adding a buffer for unexpected hiccups. Surprises happen even in the course of minimum viable product creation, and it's better to be ready than scrambling later.

Step 7: Make a Timeline with Tangible Milestones and Deadlines 

The final step is creating a concrete MVP timeline that shows exactly when things need to be done and what needs to be accomplished along the way. You should divide your project into clear, tangible milestones. Make sure they represent significant achievements, like completing a feature or launching a beta version.  

A great way to manage this is by using sprints, which many development teams do as part of an agile approach. Typically, sprints are set in 2-week intervals (or around 10 working days), with the goal of delivering something tangible by the end of each sprint.

Once you've mapped out your progress points, set specific deadlines for each. This will give you and your stakeholders a clear idea of when to expect progress. Avoid vague deadlines like "Next month" and try to be as precise as possible. Having these dates in place ensures that the team stays on track, prevents unnecessary delays, and helps keep everyone aligned on expectations.

How to Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for Startups: The Ultimate Guide

Article by

Anton Oparienko

4 Tips and Mistakes to Avoid During MVP Scoping

When you're in the MVP scoping phase, getting the right balance is key. It's easy to either overcomplicate things or undercut important details. Here are some common mistakes to avoid, practical tips, and best practices from Upsilon's experience to help guide your process.

Failing to Prioritize Features Explicitly

When developing an MVP, it's tempting to treat every feature as a priority, but that's not realistic. Therefore, you should pinpoint which features are crucial for the initial launch and which can be postponed. Whether it's speed, cost, design, functionality, or durability, you'll need to make trade-offs and decide what truly matters for your minimum viable product's success.

For example, if gathering user feedback is essential right now, don't waste time on extras. Similarly, if keeping your first customers happy is a priority, investing more in MVP testing might be necessary. By prioritizing the key factors and making smart trade-offs, you can avoid delays and ensure a more effective launch. 

A great way to stay organized is by using a real or virtual whiteboard for a clearer visual overview of the features that will drive your product forward. Draw a horizontal line across the board and list the features that are absolutely necessary for your product to function above (these are the must-haves that directly address the problem your MVP is solving). Below the line, place the nice-to-have features that can wait for future releases. 

To help with prioritization, we've talked to Upsilon's COO, Anton Oparienko, who recommends using methods like User Story Mapping (USM) and Golden Path Planning. Here's why you shouldn't neglect creating user stories according to Anton:

"USM helps you visualize the entire user journey and prioritize the most important features, ensuring you focus on solving the core problem. Golden Path Planning allows you to identify the essential user flows that address your MVP's primary objectives. When applied correctly, these methods let you stay focused on what truly matters for your minimum viable product."

Overcomplicating the Product

One of the biggest mistakes when scoping is trying to pack in too many features or overly complex MVP functionality. It's easy to get carried away and think your product needs all the bells and whistles from the start, but remember – a minimum viable product is about validating your core value proposition, not building a fully fleshed-out product.

Adding extra features that don't directly serve your main goal just creates unnecessary complexity, increases the chance of bugs, and can delay your launch. Plus, it takes longer to implement, costs more, and may require additional resources like more people or extra funding. Stick to the essentials that solve your users' main problem and let everything else wait for future iterations.

Misaligning Technology with Project Scope

When translating your MVP's scope into technology choices, it's easy to fall into the trap of selecting tools based on assumptions or the latest trends. This can lead to mismatches between the tech you choose and the actual needs of your project, resulting in unnecessary complexity or missed opportunities for a simpler solution. 

To avoid this mistake, take a step back and focus on the core requirements of your minimum viable product. Consult with your development team or get an external consultation from those who have ample experience building MVPs to identify the essential technologies needed to deliver the product's key features.

Don't just rely on one developer's opinion – gather insights from different perspectives and evaluate the pros and cons of each option. Consider factors like ease of integration, scalability, and how well each technology aligns with the scope and MVP timeline. By choosing the simplest, most functional technologies that directly support your goals, you'll set your project up for success without overengineering.

Focusing Too Much on Speed of MVP Delivery

There's a common misconception that startups need to deliver their minimum viable products as quickly as possible, but Upsilon's CEO, Andrew Fan, advises against overburdening yourself with that pressure. He points out:

"A startup is a marathon, not a sprint, and launching your minimum viable product is just the first step in a much longer journey. Of course, speed matters, but it shouldn't come at the expense of quality. Your MVP should solve real user problems, and that's what matters most."

Instead of rushing to meet a deadline, focus on making sure your product is functional and valuable. Yes, experienced teams that have built plenty of minimum viable products can deliver an MVP in about 3 months. But you shouldn't get swept up in a race to launch, your success depends not just on when you release the product, but also on how you continue to evolve and improve it afterward.

Final Thoughts on How to Scope a Minimum Viable Product

Getting the scope of your MVP wrong is a quick way to burn through resources, delay your launch, and even put your product at risk of the need to redevelop from scratch. When you try to include too many features or focus on the wrong things, it can quickly lead to wasted time and money, and you might end up with a solution that doesn't solve the real problem your users face.

Worst case, you could run out of funds before you've had a chance to make your first revenue or show any real progress, making it harder to attract investors. That's why it's so important to keep your minimum viable product as simple and focused as possible. 

The secret to defining your MVP scope is to always think about your users first. Emphasize solving their core problems with the most essential features that will actually make a difference. This requires solid user research to get a clear picture of what your customers truly want and helps you set a realistic budget and timeline. In the early days, the goal could be to get to market quickly, find product-market fit, and start building traction to secure funding.

If you're looking for a trusted tech partner to guide you through your MVP launch, our expert team is here to support you every step of the way. From strategic planning to transforming your ideas into a working product, we've got you covered. We start with our 2-week discovery phase services to lay out the roadmap and ensure everything is aligned for success. Plus, we offer specialized MVP development services designed for early-stage startups, helping your product grow from concept to scale-up. Don't hesitate to reach out – we'd love to help bring your vision to life!