AIWorkDex
Product Practice

Map one complete MVP path and its exclusions

Define a first-release boundary that lets one target user complete one useful path.

Preparation
A scope workshop followed by delivery review.
Difficulty
Moderate
Task
Define a usable MVP boundary
Back to the Task: Define a usable MVP boundary

Before you start

Get what you need before you start

  • Bring the chosen audience, the evidenced problem, current solution outline, team capacity, and known non-negotiable obligations.
  • Identify the person who can accept exclusions and their consequences.

Steps

Work through the method

Use the listed inputs and tools. Check the evidence when you need to verify a step.

  1. Trace the successful user path

    Write the user’s starting state, each essential action, the successful finish, and the evidence for why this path matters. Mark every optional branch separately.

    Why it matters: A complete use case gives scope a user result instead of a feature-count target.

    Input
    The target user, validated problem, and current concept.
    Output
    One ordered end-to-end user path with optional branches marked.
    Tools in this stepGitHub

    Evidence for this step

  2. Build the included issue boundary

    Create one parent issue for the user result and sub-issues for each required capability. Add an acceptance note that shows how each capability supports the complete path.

    Why it matters: The hierarchy makes the included release boundary and its progress reviewable.

    Input
    The ordered path and delivery constraints.
    Output
    A parent issue with required sub-issues and acceptance notes.
    Tools in this stepGitHub

    Evidence for this step

  3. Record exclusions and consequences

    List each omitted capability, the affected user or scenario, the consequence, and the revisit trigger. Ask delivery specialists to confirm that the remaining path is coherent.

    Why it matters: An exclusion becomes a deliberate product choice when its consequence is visible.

    Input
    The included issue tree, omitted branches, and specialist review.
    Output
    A usable MVP boundary with explicit exclusions and open dependencies.
    Tools in this stepGitHub

    Evidence for this step

Success checks

Check the result before you finish

  • A target user can complete the named path inside the boundary.
  • Every included capability supports that path.
  • Every material exclusion states its consequence and revisit trigger.

Failure modes

Watch for these problems

  • Return to concept work when the path cannot be described.
  • Reject a borrowed delivery duration that overrides the usable result.
  • Escalate unresolved legal, safety, accessibility, or operational obligations.

Tools

Choose the tools you need

Sources

Read the sources behind this practice

Check what each source supports and where the advice has limits.