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Resource · MVP Planning Checklist

Plan an MVP that ships — not one that sprawls.

The difference between an MVP that launches in weeks and one that drags for months is the planning. This checklist is the one we use with founders to cut scope to what actually proves the idea.

Get the Full TemplatePlan a Sprint
Used on real client MVPs · scope-cutting · stack choice · success metrics

Most MVPs aren't minimal.

The 'M' in MVP is the hard part. Teams pack in features 'while we're at it,' and the launch slips a quarter for capabilities no user asked for.

A good MVP plan is mostly a list of things you're deliberately not building yet. This checklist forces those decisions up front so you ship the smallest thing that can actually validate the idea.

The MVP planning checklist.

Work through these before you write a line of code.

  • Name the core problem — one sentence, one user. If you can't, you're not ready to build.
  • Define the single core flow — the one path that proves the idea works. Everything else is later.
  • Write the 'not now' list — features explicitly deferred. This list should be longer than the build list.
  • Pick success metrics — how you'll know it worked: activation, retention, a conversion, a signed pilot.
  • Choose a boring, fast stack — proven tools that get you to launch, not the most exciting ones.
  • Decide build vs. buy — auth, payments, email: use services, don't build them.
  • Set a hard timebox — a fixed deadline forces scope discipline. 2–6 weeks is typical.
  • Plan how you'll get users — a launched MVP with no users teaches you nothing.
Show, don't tell

Your MVP plan on one page.

The whole plan fits in a single file. If it doesn't, the scope is too big.

mvp-plan.yamlyaml
problem: "Coaches lose clients who fall off between sessions"user: "1-on-1 coaches with 10-40 clients"core_flow: "log a client habit → client gets a nudge → weekly check-in"not_now: [payments, native app, team accounts, analytics dashboard]success: "60% of invited clients log a habit in week 1"stack: [next.js, postgres, clerk-auth, resend-email]timebox: 3 weeks
If this fits, you're ready
one problem, one user, one flow
a long 'not now' list
a metric that defines success

We fill this out with you on a scoping call — narrowing scope is the most valuable hour of an MVP.

From plan to product

Want us to build it after you plan it?

Once the plan is tight, an MVP sprint turns it into a deployed product on a fixed scope and timeline.

Same checklist, same discipline — now with a senior team shipping it.

Plan an MVP sprint

Common questions.

How small should an MVP be?
Smaller than feels comfortable. If you're not slightly embarrassed by how minimal it is, you probably over-built. It only needs to test the core assumption.
What's the most common mistake?
Building features 'while we're in there.' Every added feature delays the learning and the launch. The 'not now' list is your friend.
Can you help us plan ours?
Yes — a scoping call where we fill out this plan together is often the first step of an MVP sprint.
Do I need the full template?
The checklist above is the core. The full template adds prompts, examples, and a scoping worksheet — grab it via the link.

Get the full MVP planning template.

We'll send the complete template and, if you want, walk through it with you on a free scoping call.

Get the Full TemplatePlan a Sprint