🛠️ 3.4 – MVP Development and Testing
📍 Format: Online or in person
🎯 Section objectives:
- Understand the concept of an MVP and its purpose;
- Define a minimum version of the solution to be tested;
- Create a simple prototype—physical, digital, or simulated;
- Test it with real or simulated users and collect feedback.
🧩 3.4.1 – What Is an MVP?
An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is a very simple version of your business idea that includes only its essential elements. It is designed to determine whether:
- People are interested in the solution;
- They understand the value you offer;
- They would be willing to pay for it.
💡 Practical Example
Idea: Create a community garden on abandoned land, selling organic food boxes and organising educational activities for families.
📍 Format: Explanation and knowledge activation questionnaire
🎯 What Will You Learn?
- What MVP—Minimum Viable Product—means;
- Why it is so important to test before investing;
- How to create a simple version of your idea to collect genuine feedback.
🌱 Explanation
Not every good idea needs to begin with a large investment. Sometimes, the best way to get started is to test your idea using as few resources as possible.
Possible MVP—with almost no expenditure:
- Create a poster or digital post featuring the garden’s name, inspiring photographs, and a simple description of the project.
- Share it on social media or in a local group and ask:❓ “Would you be interested in receiving boxes of fresh, organic vegetables from our future community garden?”❓ “Would you participate in workshops or visit the garden with children?”
These answers and comments can help you understand:
- Whether people are interested in the idea;
- Which audiences respond most positively;
- Which aspects you could improve.
👉 The actual garden does not exist yet. You only have a simple representation of the idea, but you are already testing its value!
🧠 Why Is an MVP Important?
- It helps you avoid wasting time and money on ideas that do not gain traction;
- It allows you to adapt your proposal based on genuine feedback;
- It gives you greater confidence to take the next step, such as communication, funding, or launching the business.
📽️ Additional Video—Optional
🔗 What Is an MVP? – Lean Startup (10 minutes)
❓ Knowledge Activation Questionnaire
1. In one sentence, what do you think an MVP is?
📌 Type: Short answer
2. Give an example of a possible MVP for your business idea.
📌 Type: Long answer
3. What concerns you or prevents you from testing your solution now?
📌 Type: Short answer
🛠️ 3.4.2 – Create Your MVP
🎯 Objective
Create a simple, testable version of your business idea—the minimum you need to:
- Explain the value proposition;
- Observe other people’s reactions;
- Collect feedback.
🚀 The Challenge
“If you had to show your idea to someone today using the resources currently available to you, how would you do it?”
💡 Examples of Possible MVPs
| Type of idea | Possible MVP | Suggested tool |
|---|---|---|
| Selling organic food boxes | Digital post with a pre-registration form | Canva + Google Forms |
| Sustainable rural tourism | Slide containing images and a proposed experience | Google Slides |
| Natural soap workshop | Short video showing the ingredients and providing an explanation | Smartphone + CapCut |
| Seed-exchange app | Paper sketch featuring drawings of the different screens | Paper + markers |
| Educational garden for schools | Poster presenting the value proposition and asking: “Would you participate?” | Canva |
🧰 Suggested Tools
- Canva—posters, mock-ups, and social media posts;
- Google Slides—simple presentations;
- Google Forms—simulating interest or registration;
- Paper and markers—for illustrating the process or product;
- A smartphone—for recording a simple explanatory video;
- CapCut, TikTok, or InShot—for quick video editing.
📝 Task: “Create Your MVP”
Submit one of the following:
- A PDF containing screenshots from Slides, Canva, or a drawing;
- A link to a video, form, or another digital resource;
- A photograph of a paper prototype.
🧑🤝🧑 Format: Individual or group activity
🕐 Suggested duration: 60–90 minutes
🧠 Tip If You Feel Stuck
“Imagine that you are going to present your idea to a family member or colleague this evening. What would you show them? What would you say to persuade them in 30 seconds?”
🧪 3.4.3 – Testing and Collecting Feedback
🎯 Objective
Present your MVP to someone—either a real person or someone taking part in a simulation—and discover how they respond to your idea before moving forward.
Testing does not need to be complicated. Simply show what you have prepared to another person, such as a friend, family member, or colleague, and listen carefully.
Remember: Your objective is not to sell—it is to learn!
🧑🤝🧑 How to Test Your MVP
- Choose one or more people, such as real users or fellow course participants.
- Show them your MVP—for example, a poster, video, form, or prototype.
- Ask two or three simple questions:
- “What did you understand about the idea?”
- “Does this seem useful or interesting to you?”
- “Would you pay for this? Alternatively, do you know someone who would?”
- Take notes without justifying or defending your idea.
📝 Canvas Questionnaire—Post-Test Reflection
1. Who saw your MVP?
You only need to indicate their relationship to you, such as colleague, friend, family member, or trainer.
📌 Type: Short answer
2. How did they react?
Did they show interest, confusion, or surprise? Did they ask any questions?
📌 Type: Long answer
3. What would you do differently based on this feedback?
📌 Type: Short answer
4. Which part of the MVP appeared strongest? Which part appeared weakest?
📌 Type: Long answer
✅ What Have You Learned from This Step?
✔️ You tested your idea with someone other than yourself.
✔️ You discovered what works and what could still be improved.
✔️ You took an important step towards genuine validation.
