MVP Scope: A Checklist Before You Write Code

An MVP should prove one risky assumption, not ship a mini-version of every future feature. We document the hypothesis, success metric, and timeline before design starts.

Must-have vs nice-to-have is a negotiation, not a wish list. We use impact/effort mapping with stakeholders so cuts are explicit and agreed, not discovered in week ten.

Integrations are scope multipliers. Every third-party API adds auth, error handling, and monitoring. Defer non-critical integrations behind a manual workflow first.

Launch criteria include operational readiness: support channel, analytics events, and rollback plan, not just a feature checklist.