MVP Definition

What it is

A boundary document: what the first release must do, what explicitly waits, and how you will know it worked. It protects you from scope creep.

Why it matters

Scope creep is the default without a written MVP contract. This aligns builders, budget, and investor expectations on what “first release” really means.

Who it's for

Founders, product managers, and engineers before sprint planning; also useful when investors ask what ships first.

What you'll find inside

• Core user stories in priority order
• Out-of-scope items with rationale
• Success metrics and timeline guardrails

When to use it

Before engineering sprints, investor questions on “when is it real?”, or hiring your first builder.

After you generate it

Drop it into sprint tickets, share with contractors, and treat non-goals as guardrails when new feature requests arrive.