03 MVP Scope
Purpose of this page
Make the MVP buildable and unambiguous:
- what we ship first (in scope),
- what we explicitly won't build yet (out of scope),
- what “done” means (acceptance criteria + success metrics),
- and which upgrade hooks we intentionally leave room for.
MVP definition (one sentence)
A lightweight personal inventory app that lets users add items fast, assign them to real-world nested locations, and find or confirm ownership in seconds via search.
MVP goals
- Fast capture: adding items must be frictionless
- Fast retrieval: search must be the primary experience
- High trust: users must believe the app's answer is correct
- Episodic reliability: it must work even if the user returns weeks later
MVP non-goals (guardrails in practice)
Not a warehouse/barcode system
Not a “full home organization project” with complex categorization
Not a daily habit app (usage can be sporadic; reliability is the value)
No AI required for the MVP to feel excellent
No forced data entry beyond the essentials
In scope (MVP features)
- Accounts & access (minimal)
Email login (or equivalent simple auth)
User has a private inventory
Basic settings: account, export placeholder (optional), delete account (later if needed) MVP note: If we want ultra-lightweight MVP, we can also start with local-first + optional account later, but typical monetization and multi-device requires accounts early. 2. Locations (core)
Create, edit, delete locations
Nested locations (hierarchy), e.g.:
Home → Cellar → Shelf A → Box 3
Location list and location detail screen
Show location breadcrumb everywhere relevant
Rules
Location names must be unique within the same parent (to avoid confusion)
Deleting a location requires handling its items (move or archive)
- Items (core) Create item with:
Required: name, location
Optional: photo, quantity, tags, notes
Edit item
Delete item (with confirmation)
Item detail screen: show location breadcrumb + quick actions
Rules
Quantity defaults to 1
Item can belong to one location at a time
- Search & browse (core) Search across:
- item name
- tags
- location names/breadcrumb
Results clearly show item + full location breadcrumb
“No results” state that is confident and helpful (e.g., suggest creating item)
Browse
Browse items within a location (location detail lists items)
- Move flow (core) Move item to another location quickly:
- from item detail
- optionally from search results (shortcut)
- Location picker supports:
- search
- recent locations
- favorites/pinned (optional for MVP, recommended)
- when available, recent destinations appear at the top of the picker on this device
- Onboarding & empty states (core)
- First-run onboarding that gets the user to value quickly:
- create first location
- add first item
- show how to search
- Strong empty states:
- no locations yet
- no items yet
- no search results
- Basic quality (MVP-level polish)
Responsive layout (mobile-first)
Fast performance (sub-second interactions where possible)
Clear visual hierarchy (calm UI)
Basic accessibility (tap targets, contrast, readable typography)
Out of scope (explicitly not MVP)
AI & automation
AI item recognition, smart categorization
“sell suggestions” optimization duplicate detection (AI-based)
Selling / money features (post-MVP)
purchase price, sell price, sold date earnings dashboard profit calculations
Sharing & collaboration
household inventory permissions/roles multi-user editing
Labels & scanning
QR codes, barcodes
printing labels scan-to-open location
Advanced metadata
receipts, warranties, manuals item condition, depreciation multi-location items or split quantities across locations history / “last seen” timeline
Integrations
storage providers marketplaces (eBay, FB Marketplace) insurance exports
MVP “done” criteria (acceptance criteria)
Add item
User can add an item in ≤ 20 seconds
Only required fields are name + location
Photo is optional and skippable
After save, item is searchable immediately
Search / retrieval
Home screen offers search first
Search returns results within 1 second (typical dataset)
Search results always show location breadcrumb
No-results state offers next action (add item / refine query)
Location management
User can create nested locations at least 3 levels deep
User can browse a location and see its items
Deleting a location forces user to move items (or blocks deletion)
Move item
User can move an item in ≤ 10 seconds
Location picker supports search + recent locations, surfacing recent destinations first when available
Trust / reliability
Inventory is consistent across sessions
User can return after weeks and still find items quickly
MVP metrics (designed for episodic usage)
Activation (early value)
Within first 7 days:
- user creates ≥ 5 locations
- user adds ≥ 30 items
- user performs ≥ 5 searches
Retrieval performance (core promise)
Median time from app open → item found: ≤ 15 seconds
Search-to-item-detail conversion rate is healthy (signals “found it”)
Delayed value (episodic retention)
% of users who return after 14 / 30 / 60 days and successfully complete:
- search → item detail view (a “found it” moment)
Trust indicators (avoid false confidence)
“Failed search” patterns:
- repeated searches without item views
- repeated edits to item names/locations shortly after searching
- Optional lightweight feedback after no-results: “Did you find what you needed?” (later)
Packaging hooks (monetization-ready, without harming MVP)
We design MVP so these upgrades fit naturally later:
Likely paid-plan features (later)
Cloud sync + multi-device
Unlimited items/locations
Export/backup
Offline mode / enhanced offline reliability
Household sharing
Advanced search & filters
Attachments (receipts, manuals)
QR labels
Selling dashboard + earnings tracking
AI sell suggestions / optimization
MVP rule: core “find my stuff” must remain strong even for free users.
Open product decisions (log for later pages)
MVP account strategy: account required vs. optional local-first
Location deletion behavior: forced move vs. archive
Tagging UX: free text vs. suggested tags
Photo-first add flow vs. text-first add flow (we can test quickly in wireframes)