Defining a Minimum Viable Version
Every successful project starts with a simple question: what's the smallest version that actually works? This concept — building a minimum viable version — is one of the most powerful tools in a developer's toolkit.
Start With What Works
A minimum viable version isn't about building something bad. It's about building something focused. You identify the core functionality that makes your project useful, build that first, and prove the concept works before adding complexity.
Think of it like cooking. Before attempting a five-course meal, master the omelette. The omelette teaches you heat control, timing, and technique. Those skills transfer to everything else you'll cook.
The Feature Sorting Exercise
When planning a project, you'll naturally think of many features. Here's how to sort them:
List everything you might want to build. Don't filter yet — just brainstorm.
Circle the 2-3 features that are absolutely essential. If the project doesn't have these, it doesn't work at all.
Everything else goes on the "later" list. These are nice-to-have features for future versions.
The features you circle become your minimum viable version. Everything else waits.
Must Have vs Nice to Have
This distinction matters enormously. "Must have" features are the ones without which your project serves no purpose. "Nice to have" features make it better but aren't essential.
Consider a todo app:
Must have:
- Add a task
- Mark a task complete
- Delete a task
Nice to have:
- Due dates
- Categories
- Search
- Cloud sync
The must-have list is your version 1. It's not exciting, but it works. You can add everything else in version 2, 3, and beyond.
Version 1 Goal: It Works
Your first version has one job: prove the concept works. It doesn't need to be pretty. It doesn't need every feature. It needs to function.
A weather CLI tool's minimum viable version might be: enter a city name, get the current temperature. That's it. No forecasts, no graphs, no saved locations. Just the core loop working.
Once that works, you've accomplished something real. You understand the API, you've handled user input, you've displayed output. Now you can build on solid ground.
Why This Matters
Minimum viable versions protect you from two dangers: never finishing and never starting. When the scope is small and clear, you're more likely to complete the project. And completion — not ambition — is what builds skills.
You can always add more later. You can't get back the time spent on features for a project you abandoned.