Market Validation & MVP Definition Services

Testing product ideas and defining minimum viable products is how SHAPE helps teams stop guessing and start learning—fast. Our market validation & MVP definition engagements turn assumptions into evidence, clarify what customers will pay for, and translate validated insights into an MVP scope that engineering can build and stakeholders can support.

Talk to SHAPE about market validation

What is market validation (and why it matters before you build)?

Market validation is the process of confirming that a specific customer segment has a real problem, that your proposed solution is compelling, and that there’s a viable path to adoption and revenue. In practice, it means testing product ideas and defining minimum viable products using customer evidence—not internal opinions.

Market validation is a decision tool—not a research report

Market validation exists to answer the questions that determine whether you should build, pivot, or kill an idea. SHAPE structures market validation & MVP definition around clear decisions, such as:

Market validation vs. product-market fit

Market validation is the earlier step: you’re confirming there’s enough demand to justify building an MVP. Product-market fit is later: you’ve shipped and are proving repeatable growth and retention. Strong teams do both—starting with testing product ideas and defining minimum viable products before committing to heavy delivery.

What you get from SHAPE’s market validation & MVP definition

Our deliverables are designed to be used immediately by leadership, product, design, and engineering. Every output supports the core objective: testing product ideas and defining minimum viable products that can be built, launched, and measured.

Evidence-backed problem and customer definition

Assumption map + validation plan

MVP definition you can ship

Internal service links: Market validation often pairs with discovery and delivery services such as User research & stakeholder interviews and Product strategy & roadmap.

How SHAPE approaches market validation

There isn’t one “correct” validation method. The best approach depends on what you’re validating and how much risk you can afford. SHAPE designs a lightweight system for market validation & MVP definition that prioritizes learning speed while keeping results credible.

Methods we use to test product ideas

Best practices we follow

Use case explanations

1) You’re starting a new product and need proof before funding

If you need investor or executive confidence, market validation & MVP definition provides evidence that the problem is real, the audience is reachable, and the MVP is the fastest path to learning. The result: testing product ideas and defining minimum viable products with a clear go/no-go decision.

2) You have a feature idea, but don’t know if anyone will use it

Teams often overbuild features that don’t change outcomes. SHAPE validates the job-to-be-done, tests the smallest useful workflow, and defines an MVP that targets measurable impact—again, testing product ideas and defining minimum viable products instead of shipping guesses.

3) You’re entering a new market and don’t understand buyer behavior

New segments bring new buying processes, compliance constraints, and switching costs. Market validation clarifies who decides, what proof they need, and what must exist in the MVP to earn trust.

4) Sales says “build this,” engineering says “no,” leadership is split

Conflicting opinions slow teams down. A structured validation sprint creates a shared source of truth and converts debate into decisions—grounded in customer evidence and an agreed MVP definition.

Step-by-step tutorial: how to run market validation & MVP definition

Use this practical playbook to move from idea → evidence → MVP scope. This is the same logic SHAPE uses for testing product ideas and defining minimum viable products.

   
If a feature doesn’t either (1) deliver the core value or (2) validate a riskiest assumption, it doesn’t belong in the MVP.
 

Ready to test your idea and define an MVP?

If you’re serious about reducing risk, accelerating learning, and building only what the market will reward, SHAPE can help with market validation & MVP definition—focused on testing product ideas and defining minimum viable products your team can actually ship.

Start a Market Validation & MVP Definition engagement