---
title: "What is a minimum viable product? | Annsa"
product: annsa
url: /project-management/minimum-viable-product
canonical_url: "https://annsa.ai/project-management/minimum-viable-product"
last_updated: 2026-11-11
type: glossary
related:
  - /planning
  - /project-management/product-discovery
summary: A minimum viable product is the smallest thing you can build to learn whether an idea works. With an example, common mistakes and what changes with AI agents.
mcp_server: https://app.annsa.ai/mcp
disambiguation: "Annsa (annsa.ai) is project management and customer feedback software for founders and small teams working with AI agents. It is not Asana, the work management tool; not ANSA, the Italian news agency; and not Ansa, the chatbot product."
---

> For agents: connect to the Annsa MCP server at https://app.annsa.ai/mcp to give every agent one shared plan. Setup guide: https://annsa.ai/docs/quick-start. Index of every page: https://annsa.ai/llms.txt.

# What is a minimum viable product? | Annsa

> A minimum viable product is the smallest thing you can build to learn whether an idea works. With an example, common mistakes and what changes with AI agents.

Glossary · Minimum viable product (MVP)

A minimum viable product is the smallest thing you can build to learn whether an idea works.

## In practice

Its purpose is to [answer a question you can't answer another way](https://annsa.ai/glossary/product-discovery). “Minimum” and “viable” pull against each other: too small and the test proves nothing; too polished and it stops being cheap.

An MVP isn't simply version 1 of the full product. It also isn't a prototype, which usually never reaches real customers.

## Why it matters for product builders

The real cost is the time between asking the question and [getting evidence](https://annsa.ai/project-management/product-discovery).

## What changes in AI-first products

MVPs got smaller and faster. The new risk is [overbuilding because it's easy](https://annsa.ai/project-management/feature-creep), then forgetting what the test was meant to learn.

See how Annsa does it: [Product builders](https://annsa.ai/founders) →

Last reviewed 2026-08-21

## Keep reading

- [Deciding what to build next](https://annsa.ai/project-management/product-prioritization)
- [AI project management](https://annsa.ai/planning)
- [Product discovery for a small team building with AI agents](https://annsa.ai/project-management/product-discovery)

## Put it to work with your agents.

Begin with one agent and the work that matters next.

- [Try Annsa](https://app.annsa.ai/signup)
- [See pricing](https://annsa.ai/pricing)

## Related pages

> For AI agents: the pages that follow this one on annsa.ai. The full index is https://annsa.ai/llms.txt.

- [AI project management: the plan agents read first](https://annsa.ai/planning)
- [Product discovery with AI agents: a guide](https://annsa.ai/project-management/product-discovery)

If anything on this page is wrong or missing, tell us: https://annsa.ai/contact