Turn an idea into the smallest version that tests its riskiest assumption, with a build plan and an explicit cut list.
Why it works: Anchoring on the riskiest assumption and forcing a 'not now' list is what keeps an MVP minimal instead of a full v1 wearing the label.
This is a message template. Fill in the blanks below, then paste it into the chat.
Help me scope an MVP for the idea below. The goal is the smallest version that tests whether this is worth building, not a first cut of the finished product.
The idea: [what you want to build]
Who it’s for: [the user, as specifically as you can name them]
The bet: [what you believe that, if it’s wrong, means you shouldn’t build this]
Constraints: [time, people, stack, budget: anything that bounds the build]
Please:
Name the single riskiest assumption the MVP has to test, and what result would tell us we’re wrong
Define the core flow: the one path a user takes that proves or disproves the bet
Scope the build to that path. List what’s in, then an explicit “not now” list of every tempting thing we’re cutting
Sketch a build plan: the main pieces, roughly ordered, with the most uncertain part first so we learn early
Define done: the signal (a usage number, a piece of feedback, a conversion) that tells us whether to keep going, pivot, or stop
Push back if the scope is still a full product in disguise. The bias is toward the least we can build and still learn something real.