The Ultimate List - 22 Best Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Examples
The Ultimate List - 22 Best Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Examples
The prospect of any new business venture is both exciting and risky. You might feel like you’re ready to release the most innovative product on the market, but will it ultimately resonate with your target audience? This uncertainty is why Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) exist – they allow startups to test the waters with their business ideas before making the jump. And they’ve certainly proven their worth in the market. Let’s dive into some of the most inspiring MVP examples that have shaped industries and redefined the way we approach product development.
1. Airbnb
Before Airbnb became the trusted marketplace for short and long-term accommodation that it is today, it started as an MVP – a simple solution to a common problem. Airbnb was launched in 2007 by founders Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky under the name AirBed and Breakfast. It was a way for frugal travelers looking for an air mattress or couch to pay and stay, essentially taking the idea of couch surfing to the next level.
Over the years, the concept expanded, and the platform featured listings for rooms, apartments, entire homes, and even quirky vacation rentals. They continued to refine their product by adding features based on user feedback – despite controversies and scepticism. This innovative MVP eventually became the biggest alternate accommodation platform, making it a go-to option for many travelers.
2. Amazon
Many multinational companies seem to get their start in a garage – and Amazon itself can testify to that statement. As the global giant it is today, no one would’ve guessed that Amazon’s journey with a focused MVP strategy centered on selling books. Jeff Bezos didn’t want to miss his opportunity to capitalize on the internet, so he launched the platform with the intent to create the world's biggest bookstore. The MVP was simple, but it wasn’t until a random survey that he realised he could sell anything through his platform. People wanted what they needed in the moment, and so Amazon expanded and became an “everything” store.
3. Zappos
Around the same time Amazon came into existence, Nick Swinmurn founded Zappos (formerly known as ShoeSite.com) in order to sell shoes online. Shoes were a multi-billion dollar market in the United States alone, and it seemed like a waste not to capitalise on that market. Swinmurn was also frustrated about not being able to find the right shoes in local brick-and-mortar stores, so the internet would provide the perfect platform to fix that problem. Zappos led a niche while Amazon expanded beyond recognition, and their expanded offerings today focus on shoes, clothing, and accessories.
4. Instagram
In the early days of social media, there wasn’t a platform like Instagram. Sure, there was Flickr, where you could show off professional-looking snapshots and Facebook and Myspace, which let you upload personal photos to your profile. But there wasn’t a dedicated photo-sharing app where photos represented the makeup of a person’s profile.
Thus, Instagram’s MVP was born, a minimalistic app where users could make a profile, upload photos, and edit them with preset filters in a square aspect ratio. It struck a chord with audiences, and they gradually introduced messaging features, Stories, photo and video carousels, IGTV, live streaming, and, of course, removed the photo size restrictions.
5. Uber
Previously, public transportation was unpredictable and inconvenient. Especially without the help of transit apps that told us how long we had to wait, people would have to hope that a taxi would drive by or that the bus schedule was on time. Uber's MVP was UberCab, an invitation-only app that involved a manual ride-booking process through the co-founders. Only their friends could book rides, where they’d receive an app access code, text their pick-up addresses, and UberCab would search for the closest driver available. Today, rather than try to figure out a way to get to the airport, find a safe ride at night, or avoid the hassle of parking, Uber has become a popular solution.
6. Dropbox
Like many great ideas, Dropbox was born to solve a problem. Founder Drew Houston went on a weekend trip with his laptop but forgot his flash drive at home, and thus, he had the bright idea to see whether it was possible to remotely access files without any physical hardware. His startup offered an MVP that didn’t involve an actual product at all. The team went through a lot of hurdles, including difficulty demonstrating a prototype form and garnering interest, so their MVP became a product demo. While the initial target market was individuals, it later attracted many high-value investors and it became a service that was popular with businesses. Today, it has 700 million registered users.
7. Facebook
Facebook's MVP was “TheFacebook”, a basic website launched by Mark Zuckerberg and his college roommates in 2004. It served to connect Harvard students to one another – and it was highly successful. Within the first month alone, over half of all Harvard undergrads were using TheFacebook. Soon enough, Stanford, Columbia, and Yale became part of the network, then Ivy League and Boston-area schools, then universities in the continent, and finally, everyone 13 years old or older with an email address. The MVP initially focused on a niche audience and brought those beloved features to the entire world.
8. Buffer
With the rise of influencers and social media as a business marketing strategy, Buffer caught the wave and provided a way for people to schedule Tweets on Twitter (known now as X). In just seven weeks, Joel Gascoigne built the first-ever version of Buffer. There weren't any analytics or other advanced features you see on Buffer today – it simply provided you with two features: choosing the times you wanted to tweet and adding those said tweets to your “buffer.” By 2011, it was fleshed out into a complete social media toolkit for businesses, allowing you to post on many major social networks and build a global audience.
Page Navigation
The prospect of any new business venture is both exciting and risky. You might feel like you’re ready to release the most innovative product on the market, but will it ultimately resonate with your target audience? This uncertainty is why Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) exist – they allow startups to test the waters with their business ideas before making the jump. And they’ve certainly proven their worth in the market. Let’s dive into some of the most inspiring MVP examples that have shaped industries and redefined the way we approach product development.
1. Airbnb
Before Airbnb became the trusted marketplace for short and long-term accommodation that it is today, it started as an MVP – a simple solution to a common problem. Airbnb was launched in 2007 by founders Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky under the name AirBed and Breakfast. It was a way for frugal travelers looking for an air mattress or couch to pay and stay, essentially taking the idea of couch surfing to the next level.
Over the years, the concept expanded, and the platform featured listings for rooms, apartments, entire homes, and even quirky vacation rentals. They continued to refine their product by adding features based on user feedback – despite controversies and scepticism. This innovative MVP eventually became the biggest alternate accommodation platform, making it a go-to option for many travelers.
2. Amazon
Many multinational companies seem to get their start in a garage – and Amazon itself can testify to that statement. As the global giant it is today, no one would’ve guessed that Amazon’s journey with a focused MVP strategy centered on selling books. Jeff Bezos didn’t want to miss his opportunity to capitalize on the internet, so he launched the platform with the intent to create the world's biggest bookstore. The MVP was simple, but it wasn’t until a random survey that he realised he could sell anything through his platform. People wanted what they needed in the moment, and so Amazon expanded and became an “everything” store.
3. Zappos
Around the same time Amazon came into existence, Nick Swinmurn founded Zappos (formerly known as ShoeSite.com) in order to sell shoes online. Shoes were a multi-billion dollar market in the United States alone, and it seemed like a waste not to capitalise on that market. Swinmurn was also frustrated about not being able to find the right shoes in local brick-and-mortar stores, so the internet would provide the perfect platform to fix that problem. Zappos led a niche while Amazon expanded beyond recognition, and their expanded offerings today focus on shoes, clothing, and accessories.
4. Instagram
In the early days of social media, there wasn’t a platform like Instagram. Sure, there was Flickr, where you could show off professional-looking snapshots and Facebook and Myspace, which let you upload personal photos to your profile. But there wasn’t a dedicated photo-sharing app where photos represented the makeup of a person’s profile.
Thus, Instagram’s MVP was born, a minimalistic app where users could make a profile, upload photos, and edit them with preset filters in a square aspect ratio. It struck a chord with audiences, and they gradually introduced messaging features, Stories, photo and video carousels, IGTV, live streaming, and, of course, removed the photo size restrictions.
5. Uber
Previously, public transportation was unpredictable and inconvenient. Especially without the help of transit apps that told us how long we had to wait, people would have to hope that a taxi would drive by or that the bus schedule was on time. Uber's MVP was UberCab, an invitation-only app that involved a manual ride-booking process through the co-founders. Only their friends could book rides, where they’d receive an app access code, text their pick-up addresses, and UberCab would search for the closest driver available. Today, rather than try to figure out a way to get to the airport, find a safe ride at night, or avoid the hassle of parking, Uber has become a popular solution.
6. Dropbox
Like many great ideas, Dropbox was born to solve a problem. Founder Drew Houston went on a weekend trip with his laptop but forgot his flash drive at home, and thus, he had the bright idea to see whether it was possible to remotely access files without any physical hardware. His startup offered an MVP that didn’t involve an actual product at all. The team went through a lot of hurdles, including difficulty demonstrating a prototype form and garnering interest, so their MVP became a product demo. While the initial target market was individuals, it later attracted many high-value investors and it became a service that was popular with businesses. Today, it has 700 million registered users.
7. Facebook
Facebook's MVP was “TheFacebook”, a basic website launched by Mark Zuckerberg and his college roommates in 2004. It served to connect Harvard students to one another – and it was highly successful. Within the first month alone, over half of all Harvard undergrads were using TheFacebook. Soon enough, Stanford, Columbia, and Yale became part of the network, then Ivy League and Boston-area schools, then universities in the continent, and finally, everyone 13 years old or older with an email address. The MVP initially focused on a niche audience and brought those beloved features to the entire world.
8. Buffer
With the rise of influencers and social media as a business marketing strategy, Buffer caught the wave and provided a way for people to schedule Tweets on Twitter (known now as X). In just seven weeks, Joel Gascoigne built the first-ever version of Buffer. There weren't any analytics or other advanced features you see on Buffer today – it simply provided you with two features: choosing the times you wanted to tweet and adding those said tweets to your “buffer.” By 2011, it was fleshed out into a complete social media toolkit for businesses, allowing you to post on many major social networks and build a global audience.
Page Navigation
Your journey starts
with an MVP
Ready to explore these services further?
Your journey starts
with an MVP
Ready to explore these services further?
© The Fast Lane. All rights reserved.