Types of MVPs: Validate Your Product Idea

When the term minimum viable product (MVP) is discussed, a layered app with very minimal capabilities appears in most people's minds. But MVPs are not one-size-fits-all; they may have a wide range, and some even do not need a working product.

The proper selection of the type of MVPs is essential to innovation, creative product development, and innovative software solutions development in the most efficient way possible.

It is a common pitfall among startups to develop full-fledged products immediately. Such a strategy adds to expenditures, development time, and possibilities of market failure. MVPs assist in testing assumptions, learning from users, and perfecting ideas prior to significant investment.

This article discusses common types of MVPs and practical examples of what startups can do to test an idea before committing to full development, including industry recommendations for fintech, crypto exchanges, gaming, and education.

A fake door MVP uses a conceptual product that is not physically built to test it with potential customers. This is usually facilitated via a landing page, pop-up, or advertisement that describes the product with call-to-action text such as "Sign Up" or "Learn More."

Key benefits of fake door MVPs

• Fast and inexpensive validation
• Measures real market interest
• Reduces risk before investing in development

Motivation triggers for users:

1. Curiosity about innovation
2. Access to unique offerings
3. Social evidence through signing up

A coach may place an advertisement on a landing page for a "Members-Only Resource Library" and track signups to determine whether individuals are ready to pay for access. Before coding the app, a crypto wallet startup can establish a "Get Early Access" button for a new portfolio tracker and track clicks to gauge interest.

Risks to consider:

• It can be perceived as misleading by users, as there is no actual product.
• You must manage expectations and follow up with engaged users.

A landing page MVP builds on the fake door concept by collecting users' emails and creating a waitlist. This enables testing of interest and pricing strategies before investing in development.

How to execute Landing Page MVPs

The process involves several key steps:

• Design a landing page explaining your product features
• Add pricing options (e.g., $5, $10, $15/month)
• Collect early adopter emails for beta testing

Advantages include:

• Builds an early audience for launch
• Enables A/B testing of pricing and messaging
• Fast iteration based on feedback

A language learning tool driven by AI could create an online platform, collect emails, and experiment with subscription levels to see which gathers the most sign-ups.

A mobile games developer might display a limited edition in-game item on a landing page and gauge interest before creating the full game feature.

An email campaign MVP measures interest by providing a detailed concept to a targeted audience. This is ideal when a mailing list already exists, but can also be done through partnerships.

Checklist for a successful email MVP

Essential elements include:

• Segment the audience by interests
• Include clear call-to-actions
• Track engagement metrics (opens, clicks, responses)

A fitness startup could send an email about a new workout program with a link to paid access, measuring subscriber interest and willingness to pay.

A decentralized exchange could pitch their concept via email to capture early interest before developing the platform.

Landing pages, fake doors, and email campaigns combine with paid marketing to create a marketing campaign MVP.

Benefits include:

• Reaches a broader audience
• Discovers demand across demographics
• Informs marketing strategy in advance

A sustainable fashion company could run Instagram and Facebook ads for a future eco-friendly sneaker, directing users to a waitlist. Engagement metrics would indicate interest before investing in inventory.

A B2B company could promote a new analytics dashboard on LinkedIn to test user readiness.

A pre-order MVP collects payment in advance for a product yet to be developed, confirming both demand and willingness to pay.

Advantages:

• Generates funds for product development
• Builds a community of early supporters
• Provides direct market feedback

A company introducing a smart home product might launch a Kickstarter campaign with early bird pricing to test real-world demand and refine features based on backer feedback.

Risks:

• Timely delivery is crucial.
• Negative publicity may harm brand reputation.

A Single-Feature MVP tests one key feature of your app, allowing for quick iteration and focused feedback.

Single-Feature MVP Implementation Checklist

Key steps include:

• Identify the core value proposition
• Build a minimal interface around the primary feature
• Solicit user feedback to enhance usability

A cryptocurrency portfolio app might start with only balance tracking. Additional functions like price alerts or staking options are added based on user feedback.

A multiplayer game could test one battle mode before expanding content.

A piecemeal MVP uses existing tools rather than building everything custom.

Typical components:

• Video classes: Zoom, YouTube Live
• Payments: Stripe, PayPal
• Communication: MailChimp, Slack

An online education company could use Zoom for classes, Stripe for subscriptions, and MailChimp for newsletters to provide a complete experience without writing code.

Benefits:

• Saves development time and costs
• Enables rapid testing of workflows
• Provides real user engagement data

A Concierge MVP provides entirely manual service delivery, allowing startups to test demand and learn user behavior without developing complex systems. This approach helps identify actual user value before moving to automation.

How Concierge MVP works

The process involves:

• Select a few target users
• Deliver the service manually (through email, phone, live chat, or in-person)
• Gather feedback on pricing, experience, and perceived value
• Apply real-world insights to product development

Benefits include:

• Deep understanding of user needs: Face-to-face communication reveals insights surveys cannot capture
• Flexible scaling: Easy to customize offerings without code limitations
• Low upfront development costs: No need to invest in full software development early

Examples:

• Travel startup: Manually create custom itineraries, monitor customer satisfaction, then improve before building an automated platform
• Fitness coaches: Provide individual workout and nutrition guidance through email or Zoom before developing an app
• Business consulting: Conduct manual one-on-one strategy sessions to identify most valuable services

Checklist for Concierge MVPs

Essential steps:

• Define target users and segment the audience
• Deliver service manually but professionally
• Track engagement, satisfaction, and feature requests
• Identify patterns and unmet needs
• Apply learnings to build scalable automation

A Wizard of Oz MVP makes users feel they're interacting with a fully automated system while the team manually performs all operations behind the scenes. This allows startups to test workflows, user interactions, and interfaces before developing complex backends.

How the Wizard of Oz MVP works

The process includes:

• Build a simple front-end interface that appears automated
• Perform actions manually behind the scenes (fulfillment, calculations, responses)
• Monitor user interactions and collect feedback
• Identify friction points and optimize before full automation

Benefits:

• Early validation of product features without heavy development
• Realistic user experience: Users experience something close to the final product vision
• Faster iteration: Manual operations can be adjusted quickly

Examples:

• Meal kit delivery service: Customers order through an app, founders manually source ingredients and assemble kits
• E-learning platform: Students access a smart interface for personalized learning while teachers manually track progress and respond
• SaaS productivity tool: Customers submit requests through a dashboard while founders process them manually to test automation logic

Best Practices for Wizard of Oz MVPs

Key practices include:

• Ensure seamless and believable user experience
• Clearly track user interactions and feedback
• Prioritize automation based on data, not assumptions
• Don't overpromise features you cannot deliver
• Use insights to guide development priorities

Wizard of Oz MVPs bridge the gap between an idea and a fully functional product. They reduce development risk, validate workflows, and enable innovative software solutions to launch with confidence.

Which MVP type best fits your goals?

• Low-fidelity MVPs (fake doors, landing pages, emails) → rapid validation, minimal investment
• High-fidelity MVPs (single-feature apps, piecemeal, concierge, Wizard of Oz) → deeper insights, require more effort

Pro tips:

• Define your main assumption before selecting MVP type
• Start with low-fidelity MVPs to reduce risk
• Iterate based on actual user feedback before full development
• Consider combining multiple MVP types for comprehensive testing

Industry-specific advice:

• Fintech and crypto: Use fake doors, pre-orders, and email campaigns to test regulatory-compliant features
• Gaming: Single-feature MVPs and Wizard of Oz approaches test engagement and gameplay loops
• Education & Coaching: Piecemeal and concierge MVPs validate content effectiveness and retention before platform investment

Critical metrics:

• Conversion rate (signups, pre-orders)
• Engagement (clicks, opens, time spent)
• Retention and churn
• Customer feedback (surveys, comments)

Monitoring these metrics ensures MVP innovation aligns with market demand and supports strategic product decisions.

Key roles for MVP success:

• Product manager → defines scope and hypotheses
• Developer → implements essential features
• Designer → ensures user experience
• Marketer → drives traffic and collects feedback
• Analyst → tracks metrics and validates assumptions

Clear coordination and role definition prevent delays and provide actionable insights.

MVPs help startups test assumptions, validate ideas, and optimize product features without unnecessary costs. The goal is to learn quickly and efficiently through email campaigns, landing pages, pre-orders, single-feature applications, or piecemeal approaches.

By understanding which type of MVP fits your project and iterating intelligently, you can save resources, decrease time to market, and increase your chances of launching a product that genuinely resonates with users.

When startups have innovative ideas to implement into market-tailored solutions, collaborating with experienced development teams can accelerate results. Innovation partners like Idealogic focus on MVP development, helping startups build high-quality products with minimal risk and faster time-to-market.