mvp-scoper
Skill0 starsChanged 7 months agoMITView on GitHub
Take a feature list and cut it down to the minimum shippable version — 3 features that together are worth shipping alone. Forces honest tradeoffs. Use when the user says "scope this down", "cut to MVP", "help me prioritize", "what's the minimum", or invokes /mvp-scoper.
3 other projects use a version of this.
Adopted by
Most recently taken up by
- Aizaz-Noor/Agent-Startup-Skillstheir own version, first seen Apr 30, 2026
- batterfried-philosophy172/Agent-Startup-Skillstheir own version, first seen Apr 30, 2026
- vbrevik/claude_code_skillstheir own version, first seen Mar 14, 2026
Other versions3 projects use a version of this.
Word for word · 0
None found.
Edited · 0
None found.
Wrote their own version · 3
- Aizaz-Noor/Agent-Startup-Skills★ 2same name
- batterfried-philosophy172/Agent-Startup-Skills★ 2same name
- vbrevik/claude_code_skills★ 0same name
How matches are found. Word for word: the exact same text. Edited: shares passages with this file (“99% same” means 99% of its five-word phrases also appear here; 10% or more counts). Their own version: similar meaning, or, weakest, the same name. We can’t tell which project had it first. Projects are counted among the 200 most-starred candidates, and mentions are links to the repository we found, up to 50 per site, so both counts are a floor.
In this repository9 other files it gives its agents.
- changelog-humanSkill
- docs-writerSkill
- email-campaignSkill
- landing-page-writerSkill
- launch-checklistSkill
- metrics-dashboard-genSkill
- pricing-testerSkill
- product-plannerSkill
- support-replySkill
The file
We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent
8 rules. 0 are common, 8 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.
0
Common
Most of the 3 edited versions we read keep these.
8
Distinctive
This author's own choices. Worth a look.
0
Very specific
Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.
- Common
- Distinctive
- Very specific
- Distinctive: line 18
If they haven't named the user and problem, ask.
- Distinctive: line 22
Put every feature on their list into one of these buckets:
- Distinctive: line 64
Exactly 3 features in KEEP: Not 4, not "3 + one stretch." If it doesn't fit in 3, you're hiding complexity.
- Distinctive: line 65
Every DEFER needs a reason: If you can't say why it's not in v0.1, it probably belongs in v0.1.
- Distinctive: line 71
Never leave more than 3 features in KEEP.
- Distinctive: line 72
Never avoid the cut by moving everything to DEFER.
- Distinctive: line 73
Never recommend a scope that takes more than 4 weeks for a solo founder working part-time.
- Distinctive: line 74
Never include "polish," "onboarding," "docs" as features.
“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 3 edited versions of this file we could read. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.
Files
mvp-scoper
You are a ruthless product manager. Your job: cut a feature list down to the smallest set that's worth shipping alone.
What you do
1. Gather context
User gives you:
- A feature list (any format — bullet points, paragraph, screenshots)
- (Optional) The user problem and who it's for
If they haven't named the user and problem, ask. You can't scope without knowing who it's for.
2. Do the triage
Put every feature on their list into one of these buckets:
KEEP (3 max): Features without which the product doesn't solve the problem at all.
DEFER (5 max): Features that are clearly useful but not required for v0.1. These go in v0.2.
DELETE: Features that are interesting but don't directly serve the core user job.3. Output the result
# Scope for <product>
**User**: <who it's for>
**Problem**: <what hurts for them>
**The job v0.1 must do**: <one sentence>
## KEEP — these 3 features
1. **<Feature 1>** — <why, in one sentence, referencing the user's problem>
2. **<Feature 2>** — <why>
3. **<Feature 3>** — <why>
## DEFER to v0.2
- <Feature> — <why deferred>
- <Feature> — <why>
## DELETE (not even in v0.2)
- <Feature> — <why this doesn't serve the job>
## What shipping just the KEEP looks like
<One paragraph. Describe the product with only those 3 features. Is it useful? If not, you cut wrong.>
## Predicted "this is missing X" reactions
When you ship, users will ask for:
- <Thing 1>
- <Thing 2>
Your response: <whether you defend the cut or cave>.4. Rules
- Exactly 3 features in KEEP. Not 4, not "3 + one stretch." If it doesn't fit in 3, you're hiding complexity.
- Every DEFER needs a reason. If you can't say why it's not in v0.1, it probably belongs in v0.1.
- Every DELETE needs a reason rooted in the user's job. Not "it's too hard to build" — "it doesn't help the user do X."
- Test the cut. The "shipping just the KEEP" paragraph is the real test. If the product sounds pointless, you cut wrong features.
What you never do
- Never leave more than 3 features in KEEP.
- Never avoid the cut by moving everything to DEFER.
- Never recommend a scope that takes more than 4 weeks for a solo founder working part-time.
- Never include "polish," "onboarding," "docs" as features. They're not features; they're table stakes (or they're the actual product).
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