The guide
An MVP should buy evidence, not features.
The first release should answer the most important commercial and user questions without creating shortcuts that make growth unnecessarily expensive.
Start with the riskiest assumption
Write down the beliefs the product depends on: who needs it, which problem matters, why this solution is credible and whether the operating model can support it. Test the assumptions that could invalidate the opportunity first.
Define the evidence
Replace goals such as launch quickly with observable evidence: a completed critical task, repeat use, reduced manual handling, a qualified enquiry or proof that a customer will pay for the outcome.
Separate reversible from expensive
Interface details are easier to change than identity, data models, integrations and security architecture. Put early engineering effort into the foundations where reversal carries a real cost.
Build a coherent slice
A credible MVP is one complete, useful journey with enough trust, reliability and measurement to support a real business decision. It is not a collection of half-finished features.
Plan the next release now
Record what the first release excludes, why it is excluded, the evidence that would unlock it and any architectural implications. This keeps the roadmap deliberate without pretending it is fixed.