Before building an MVP, give one workflow a clear purpose

A feature list tells you what software might contain. A clear purpose tells you what someone should be able to do with it. Before deciding what belongs in an MVP, try writing one sentence: When [situation occurs], [person] needs to [complete a task] so they can [reach a useful outcome]. Consider a hypothetical neighborhood repair shop: “When a customer asks about a repair, the person at the counter needs to find its current status so they can give a useful answer.” That sentence gives you five questions to work through. 1. Who needs to finish the task? “The business” is too broad. In this example, the person at the counter needs a quick answer. The technician may need to record more detailed notes. Their screens do not necessarily need the same information. 2. What starts the task? A phone call, an arriving customer, or a scheduled review can lead to different interactions. For a phone call, opening a record quickly matters. A daily review may benef