MVP, prototype and POC are often used as if they mean the same thing. They do not. Choosing the wrong format leads to wasted budget, delayed validation and confusion in your roadmap. This framework helps founders choose the right first build for their stage.
The three terms (simple)
- Prototype: A visual or interactive concept used to communicate product direction quickly. Useful for conversations and early feedback, but not meant for stable production usage.
- POC (Proof of Concept): A technical feasibility check. Best used when one risky assumption must be tested first, such as AI output quality, latency or integration viability.
- MVP: A minimum product with a real user flow and measurable behavior. The goal is learning from actual usage, not perfect feature completeness.
When to choose what
- You need to communicate vision quickly: Start with a prototype to align stakeholders, sharpen messaging and de-risk design direction.
- You are unsure whether the technology works: Run a focused POC to validate technical risk before committing to a broader product build.
- You want market proof from real behavior: Build an MVP with enough production baseline to support real users and trustworthy data.
Common mistake
A common mistake is calling every first build an MVP while still treating it like a presentation artifact. If users cannot complete a core journey, you are not validating the product yet.
Simple decision framework for founders
Ask one question first: what is your biggest uncertainty right now? If uncertainty is storytelling, build a prototype. If uncertainty is technical feasibility, run a POC. If uncertainty is user demand and behavior, build an MVP and measure outcomes.
What strong market signals look like
Strong signals come from repeated behavior: completed flows, returning users, qualitative feedback and willingness to commit. That requires an MVP with clear instrumentation and enough reliability to trust the data.
Want help choosing the right path?
If you are deciding between prototype, POC or MVP, we can help you choose the shortest path to useful validation.
Next step for your product
If this article matches your current phase, these pages will help you decide what to build next and how to do it without avoidable technical debt.