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:

• Who is the target segment and buyer?
• What painful job-to-be-done are they trying to accomplish?
• Why now—what makes the problem urgent?
• How will we reach them and what will they switch from?
• What is the MVP that proves value with minimum cost and time?

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

• Primary segment + adjacent segments (who we’re not targeting first)
• Jobs-to-be-done / key workflows and triggers
• Top pains, current alternatives, and switching costs

Assumption map + validation plan

• Explicit list of riskiest assumptions (value, feasibility, usability, viability)
• Test methods matched to each assumption (interviews, prototypes, landing pages, pilots)
• Success criteria and “kill / pivot / proceed” thresholds

MVP definition you can ship

• MVP scope (what’s in, what’s out, and why)
• Feature-to-hypothesis mapping (every item ties to a learning goal)
• Release plan: prototype → MVP → V1 (phased delivery without overbuilding)

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

• Customer discovery interviews: uncover pains, current workflows, and buying dynamics.
• Problem/solution validation: test whether your concept meaningfully improves outcomes.
• Prototype testing: validate usability and comprehension before engineering.
• Landing pages + message testing: validate positioning, value props, and intent.
• Concierge/pilot MVPs: deliver value manually to prove demand before automation.
• Pricing and willingness-to-pay conversations: confirm viability early.

Best practices we follow

• Start with the riskiest assumption: validate what could kill the idea first.
• Recruit for reality: talk to the actual buyer and end user, not convenient proxies.
• Triangulate: combine interviews, behavior signals, and stakeholder context.
• Define success before testing: clear criteria prevents biased interpretation.
• Document what you learned and what you changed: validation should reshape the MVP.

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.

1. Write the hypothesis (problem, audience, outcome)

   Describe the customer, the problem, and the expected value in one sentence. Example: “Operations managers at mid-size logistics firms will pay to reduce manual shipment exceptions by 30%.”

2. Map assumptions and rank by risk

   List assumptions across value, usability, feasibility, and viability. Rank what would break the idea if false.

3. Recruit the right participants

   Speak to the real buyer and users in the target segment. If you can’t reach them reliably, that’s a signal about go-to-market risk.

4. Run customer discovery interviews

   Focus on current behavior: what they do today, what it costs (time, money, risk), and what triggers change. Avoid pitching too early.

5. Test solution concepts with lightweight prototypes

   Use sketches or clickable prototypes to test comprehension and workflow fit. Capture what users expect to happen and where they hesitate.

6. Validate viability: willingness to pay and constraints

   Explore budget ownership, procurement steps, compliance needs, and pricing sensitivity. If you can’t discuss money, you’re not validating.

7. Define the MVP: smallest product that proves the bet

   Turn findings into a scope that delivers a clear outcome with minimal build. Include explicit exclusions to prevent MVP creep.

8. Set metrics and learning milestones

   Decide what success looks like (activation, retention proxy, time saved, conversion, pilot commitments) and how you’ll measure it post-launch.

Rule of thumb: 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

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