Understanding minimum viable product using chatgpt as a case study

Adedimeji Taiwo
Bootcamp
Published in
2 min readDec 9, 2023
An MVP image in form of flame and light

A minimum viable product (MVP) is the first version of a product with sufficient features to meet early adopters’ needs and gather valuable feedback about its functionality and market acceptance. This data is then used to refine the product into a beta version that caters more effectively to user demands.

A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) must

  1. Meet users’ needs
  2. Be Reliable and viable
  3. Generate monetizable value for the business.

Case Study: ChatGPT

ChatGPT-3, a text generation product released by OpenAI in November 2022, was designed as a minimum viable product (MVP). It possessed enough features to satisfy user needs while simultaneously testing core functionalities and gathering valuable user feedback.

ChatGPT-3's release generated significant buzz. Tech professionals utilized it for code generation, students for research, and many others for diverse purposes. OpenAI recognized the widespread acceptance and positive impact of ChatGPT-3. Notably, users appreciated the ability to ask the AI questions and receive precise answers instead of navigating webpages for information.

This MVP successfully fulfilled user needs, provided value to the market, generated monetizable value, and yielded valuable user feedback. OpenAI even witnessed user willingness to pay for a beta version.

Based on the MVP’s success and user feedback, OpenAI developed ChatGPT-4, an enhanced version of ChatGPT-3. This paid version now boasts multi-modal support, allowing the AI to understand and respond to inputs like images and audio. Users are demonstrably willing to pay for this premium offering.

This case exemplifies the power of an MVP. A high-quality product, designed to meet user needs, was initially released. This MVP, not merely a random product, fueled the expansion of features and functionalities based on market feedback, ultimately leading to the successful launch of ChatGPT-4.

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