An MVP is a product with minimal features but enough to provide value to the customer. It's crafted to test hypotheses and gather information. So, think of an MVP not just as a fully-fledged product, but anything that helps gather data for decision-making. Here are 6 most common types of MVP:

What is it?
A pre-order MVP is a description of the product you intend to create. Its goal is to "sell" your solution before it's even built.

When to use it?
This MVP is handy when you want to gauge demand for your product. You talk about your service, and potential customers leave inquiries or their contacts. Ideally, users give their account numbers or pay upfront.

How to implement it?
Your MVP could be a landing page or a presentation. You could also leverage crowdfunding platforms. In such cases, users commit financially, which better demonstrates the need for the product than just leaving an inquiry. If dozens of people are willing to pay for a nonexistent product, it suggests high demand. This MVP suits most cases, except for projects where the market's need hasn't yet crystallized.

What is it?
An audience-building MVP aims to build a customer base before the product launch. It helps create a community of devoted and loyal consumers.

How to implement it?
Find places where your target audience gathers for information and like-minded individuals. Usually, it's social media or forums. Start a blog to share project updates and useful content. Engage with subscribers to understand the future product's required features better.

When to use it?
This MVP won't tell you if people are willing to pay for your product, but it does gauge people's interest. Sometimes, that's enough to decide to develop the full version. However, note that this MVP requires a team capable of creating content and managing communities, which can be costly.

What is it?
Similar to a concierge providing services to guests, instead of an app, you work with the consumer personally. You manually assist in problem-solving. This type of MVP allows consumers to experience the product before its development.

When to use it?
When you have a basic idea but lack understanding of crucial details. When you need to explore doubts, needs, and habits of your target audience. Through personal contact, you'll receive firsthand feedback. This MVP also suits when your target audience isn't tech-savvy and there's a risk they might reject the product without trying it. By directly engaging with them, you'll understand if the rejection is due to lack of need or technological aversion.

How to implement it?
Do everything manually that the product would do. Replace the app interface with personal communication, and manually execute the server-side functionality.

As a result of this MVP, apart from valuable information, you'll gain loyal users who appreciate the personalized approach.

What is it?
A product that outwardly appears to perform all functions independently but is actually manually operated. Unlike the concierge-type MVP, the customer isn't aware that tasks are being performed by a human rather than software.

When to use it?
When your product involves complex automation. When integrations with third-party services are required. When multiple partners and contractors need to be involved in the work. When your product targets paired audiences, for instance, "performers" and "clients." In such cases, you can create the illusion of one side's presence to test the product on the other.

How to implement it?
Create an interface and tell consumers it's a ready-made product. For example, if you're building a text localization service, you'll have translators working behind the scenes. If the service gains traction, you can start development.

What is it?
This is a functional product solving only one task. It helps assess a specific hypothesis. Such an MVP isn't a watered-down version of the app but a quality product that brings, albeit small, value to the customer.

How to implement it?
Break down the customer's problem into components and focus on solving one of them. For example, let's say you want to create a service to automate customer support. Your potential client deals with multiple channels, needing chatbots in messengers, voice assistants in telephony, auto-replies in email, etc. It's impossible to do everything at once, so you decide to concentrate on email. You create a service that sends template responses to specific queries. Thus, you've only addressed part of the customer's problem but have already provided value. Later on, you can refine what additional functionality is needed and prioritize tasks for development accordingly.

When to use it?
In highly competitive and rapidly changing markets. It's better to start small and develop the product according to new trends.
When you already have a product and fear that a new feature won't catch on. It's better to create a separate MVP and test it. Upon success, integrate it into the product.

What is it?
In an "Alien Product" MVP, an existing product or service is used to evaluate ideas. You offer to solve a customer's problem and fulfill the order using a competitor's product.

How to implement it?
Yes, it sounds somewhat wild and unfair. But considering that at the MVP stage, the main goal is to gather information, isn't it wise to leverage the work of those who have long been in the market? For example, you've decided to launch a taxi-hailing app. Why create your own for market research when you can sign up as a driver with a service like "Uber" and learn everything firsthand within a couple of days?

When to use it?
When entering a market dominated by mature companies.
When resources for development are limited.

When developing an IT product, it's not enough to decide to test an MVP first. It's also crucial to understand which type of MVP suits your case best.