What is Minimum Desirable Product (MDP)?

Minimum Desirable Product (MDP) is a product management concept that refers to the minimum set of features or functionalities that a product must have to be considered desirable by its target audience. It is a variation of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) concept, which focuses on the minimum set of features or functionalities that a product must have to be launched and tested in the market.

Why is MDP important?

MDP is important because it helps product managers and teams to focus on the most critical features or functionalities that their target audience needs or wants. By identifying the minimum set of features that make a product desirable, product teams can avoid wasting time and resources on developing features that are not important or relevant to their users.

Moreover, MDP can help product teams to prioritize their product roadmap and backlog, as they can focus on developing the most critical features first and then add additional features based on user feedback and market demand.

How to define MDP?

Defining MDP requires a deep understanding of the target audience and their needs and wants. Product teams can use various methods to identify the minimum set of features that make a product desirable, such as:

Conducting user research and interviews to understand user needs and pain points
Creating user personas and user stories to capture user requirements and scenarios
Using analytics and data to identify the most used and valued features of similar products in the market
Conducting surveys and polls to gather user feedback and preferences

Once the product team has identified the minimum set of features that make a product desirable, they can use this information to create a product roadmap and backlog that prioritizes these features and functionalities.

Conclusion

Minimum Desirable Product (MDP) is a product management concept that helps product teams to focus on the most critical features or functionalities that their target audience needs or wants. By identifying the minimum set of features that make a product desirable, product teams can avoid wasting time and resources on developing features that are not important or relevant to their users. Moreover, MDP can help product teams to prioritize their product roadmap and backlog, as they can focus on developing the most critical features first and then add additional features based on user feedback and market demand.