What is an MVP? Give an example of how you would build one.
What the interviewer wants to hear
- Smallest product to test the riskiest assumption
- Focus on learning, not completeness
- Must still deliver real value
- Example with a clear hypothesis and success measure
Model answer
An MVP, or minimum viable product, is the smallest version of a product that lets us test our riskiest assumption with real users and learn quickly. It must still be useful, otherwise we learn nothing. For example, imagine we want to build a tiffin subscription app for office workers. The biggest assumption is that people will pay monthly in advance. Instead of building a full app, I could start with a simple landing page, a WhatsApp ordering flow and a payment link for one office area. Our hypothesis could be that at least 30 percent of people who try a trial week will pay for a month. If that works, we invest in the app. If not, we learned cheaply and can change the offer.
Can you answer it under time pressure?
Take a timed easy round and get scored on every answer.
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- How do you work with engineers and designers?
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- Explain how an A/B test works and when you would use one.
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