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Plan and prioritise · Core

Define the smallest valuable release

Decide the smallest version that real users can use and get value from, so you start learning as early as possible. Small does not mean broken: it should solve a real part of the problem well.

About 1-2 daysEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026

Who this applies to

Skills it builds
Prioritisation and roadmapping
PM types
All
Product types
All
Starting points
All
Ways of working
All
Experience
All
Size of organisation
All

Steps, by experience

Beginner (under 1 year)

  1. Go back to the user need and the main success metric.
  2. List everything in the full idea, then ask for each item: does a user need this to get value the first time?
  3. Look for a thin slice through the whole journey rather than one finished piece of it.
  4. Write down what is in the first release, what comes next, and what is out for now.
  5. Check the first release is still usable, safe, accessible and legal.
  6. Agree it with the team and stakeholders, and say clearly what you will learn from it.

Intermediate (1 to 4 years)

  1. Map the full scope against the user journey and identify the thinnest valuable slice.
  2. Agree in, next and out lists.
  3. Confirm the release meets quality, safety and accessibility standards.
  4. State what the release will teach you and how you will measure it.

Experienced (5+ years)

  1. Choose the slice that tests the riskiest remaining assumption with real users.
  2. Separate the release you learn from and the release you market; they are often different.
  3. Hold the line on scope under pressure by tying every addition to evidence.
  4. Plan the next two increments so stakeholders see the path, not just the first step.

Who can do this

Owner: Product manager

Can be delegated to

  • Product Owner: Draft the in, next and out lists from the backlog
  • UX Designer: Check the slice still makes a complete, usable journey
  • Tech Lead: Confirm the slice can be built and released independently

Reviewed by: Tech Lead, UX Designer, Policy / Legal / Compliance

Tool examples

Miro
Build a story map with the journey across the top and draw a line for the first release.
Jira
Create a release version and assign only the first-slice stories to it.
Linear
Use a project with a clear first milestone and move everything else to later cycles.
Claude
List your features and ask it to suggest the thinnest end-to-end slice, then check it with your team.

Definition of done

  • First release defined as a thin, usable slice of the journey
  • In, next and out lists agreed
  • What you will learn and how you will measure it written down

Common pitfalls

  • Shipping something so small it gives no value or no learning
  • Building one perfect component instead of a usable journey
  • Letting 'just one more feature' creep back in

If you lead the team

What good looks like: First releases are the smallest version that real users can get value from, so learning starts early.

Ask your PM

  • Who will use the first release, and what value will they get?
  • What did we leave out, and why?

Warning signs

  • The 'MVP' takes most of the year.
  • The first release can't teach us anything about value.

Do these first

Sources