The Credera Brief | POCs vs. MVPs

In our latest edition of The Credera Brief video series, Credera Principal Brooks Grigson clarifies the differences between a proof of concept (POC) and minimum viable product (MVP) and shares why it’s important to keep these straight.

Defining POCs and MVPs

Part of the confusion between POCs and MVPs comes from the conflation of the term “concept.” A POC is generally used by engineering teams to test how hardware or software behaves in the technology ecosystem. This means if you’re not on an engineering team, a POC is irrelevant.

This is where the MVP enters the equation. As Eric Riles, author of The Lean Startup explains, an MVP is any version of the product that can begin the process of learning using the build-measure-learn feedback loop. Many organizations struggle to see past the term product in that definition and expect a fully functional, market-ready product on day one.

To address this issue, Marty Cagan, In his book Inspired, suggests that product teams use the term “minimum viable prototype” instead. Product teams utilize prototypes as an experiment to gain understanding quickly and cheaply—if a prototype proves viable, this will inform the priority of the product backlog.

Using distinct terminology helps team members and colleagues understand goals, challenges, and differences more clearly. Understanding these differences helps stakeholders focus on the right thing, reduces time wasted, and allows you to focus on creating great experiences for your customers.

The Credera Brief

At Credera, we believe the toughest business challenges are best solved by a team—a team who works together to share knowledge to accomplish their goals. 

We created The Credera Brief series to distill trends and ideas from Credera leaders and experts. These short-form videos share different insights and perspectives across the topic spectrum from MarTech and innovation to strategy. 

You can find the complete series on our YouTube page, or reach out to findoutmore@credera.com to continue the conversation.

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