Building Your MVP: Scoping, Tech Stack & 7-Day Sprint Guide

What an MVP Really Is

An MVP is NOT:

• A crappy version of your product
• A prototype
• A demo
• Your vision compressed

An MVP IS:

• A test of one core hypothesis with real users
• The smallest thing that delivers real value
• Something people can use and give feedback on

Scoping with the MoSCoW Method

• Must Have — Without these the product doesn't work. Limit to 3-5 features.
• Should Have — Important but not essential. Target for week 2-3.
• Could Have — Nice-to-haves. Defer these.
• Won't Have Yet — Explicitly out of scope.

Choosing Your Tech Stack

Vibe Coding Path:

• React via Lovable/Bolt
• Supabase
• Stripe
• Netlify/Vercel

More Control Path:

• Next.js
• Supabase/PlanetScale
• NextAuth
• Vercel

The 7-Day Build Sprint

• Day 1: Setup & Data Model
• Day 2: Core Feature #1
• Day 3: Core Feature #2 + Auth
• Day 4: Core Feature #3 + Polish
• Day 5: Payments & Landing Page
• Day 6: Testing & Bug Fixes
• Day 7: Launch

Database Schema Design Basics

• Start with core entities
• Use UUIDs
• Add timestamps
• Plan for multi-tenancy from day one

Common MVP Mistakes

• Building too much
• No user feedback loop
• Perfectionism
• Choosing trendy tech over proven tech