You’re Packing too many Features into your MVP: Would Customers be Delighted?

But the response is far from nimble. Overloading your MVP with features leads to confusion and distracts from its true purpose: learning and iterating quickly.

The MVP doesn’t need to be a fully loaded product; instead, it aims to test core hypotheses and get to market quickly, even if it’s not “perfect.” Here’s what often happens in customers' minds when encountering an over-engineered MVP:

Prioritizing MVP Features Without Overloading:

1. Define the Core Problem Clearly • The key is solving one primary problem your target audience faces, not multiple. As Eric Ries emphasizes in The Lean Startup, “An MVP is designed not to satisfy every need, but to test the riskiest assumptions with the least effort.” Focus on one core problem to avoid overwhelming the MVP with unnecessary features.

2. Understand Your Users’ Immediate Needs • Don’t try to meet every user's desire upfront. Conduct minimal, targeted research to hone in on their most pressing pain points, not their wishlist. MVPs should meet the essential, initial need, as Paul Graham notes: “Do things that don’t scale—solve the critical issue for a few, and solve it well.”

3. List Features, but Resist Over-Inclusion • A comprehensive feature list is fine initially, but the temptation is to start adding in “extras” to create a better first impression. Don’t fall for it. Only list features that solve the core problem and ensure early user feedback drives any future additions.

4. Categorize Features with a Brutal Filter • Use frameworks like MoSCoW (Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, Won’t-Have) to rigorously eliminate non-essential features. Your MVP needs to be lean, not perfect, as the Must-Haves are about validating assumptions, not creating a fully functional product.

5. Rely on Prioritization Methods that Emphasize Minimalism • The RICE method (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) is helpful here, as it forces you to assign minimal effort to features that will have the greatest impact. Again, you’re validating—not delivering a polished product.

6. Evaluate Feasibility to Avoid Scope Creep • If a feature requires too many resources, it’s not meant for the MVP. Focus on features with low complexity that allow for rapid iteration. Avoiding complex, resource-heavy features is critical for the MVP’s purpose: learning from user feedback without over-engineering.

7. User Feedback as the True Guide • Build, launch, learn, iterate. Use feedback to drive future iterations, but keep in mind that feedback is iterative. There’s no need for all the bells and whistles when you don’t yet know if users need them. As Steve Blank states, “You need to listen, but you also need to focus on what’s essential right now.”

8. Create a Clear and Focused Roadmap • Plan the next version based on data and feedback, not assumptions about what features will “wow” customers. A roadmap should only include the next step, not the entire product vision from day one.

9. Iterate, Don’t Perfect • Remember, the MVP’s purpose is not to be a perfect product, but a learning tool. “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week,” as George Patton’s famous quote suggests—perfection comes later, after learning what customers truly want.

As the saying goes, “Perfect is the enemy of good.” By focusing on a simple, core offering, you can delight customers with functional, valuable solutions, rather than overwhelm them with unnecessary complexity.

Here are some relevant insights for your further reading:

1. Eric Ries (The Lean Startup): “An MVP is designed to test assumptions with minimal resources, not to be a polished product.”

2. Steve Blank: “Get out of the building, get feedback, and iterate on your product. Perfection can come later.”

3. Paul Graham: “Start by doing things that don’t scale. Focus on the critical problem for a select group.”

4. Category Activity Type Description Core Feature Identification Problem Definition: Focus on solving the most critical problem your target audience faces. The MVP’s goal is to solve this effectively.

5. User Insights Minimal User Research: Conduct focused research to understand immediate needs, rather than trying to solve all problems at once. Feature Prioritization MoSCoW, RICE Frameworks Use these frameworks to filter out non-essential features, focusing only on what’s necessary to test assumptions.

6. Development Technical Feasibility Assessment: Ensure that MVP features require minimal development effort, avoiding complex implementations for faster iteration.

7. User Feedback Feedback-Driven Iteration: Gather feedback post-launch to guide future iterations, focusing only on necessary improvements. This structure reinforces your point that focusing on too many features in an MVP leads to unnecessary complexity, detracting from its true purpose: quick learning and iterative development.

A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week,” as George Patton’s famous quote suggests—perfection comes later, after learning what customers truly want.