Concierge vs. Wizard of Oz MVP

Product managers are encouraged to use minimum viable products (MVPs) to validate ideas and assumptions before committing to extensive software development, thereby reducing risk and resource investment. MVPs like the concierge and Wizard of Oz models offer unique ways to test product concepts. A concierge MVP involves manual service delivery, allowing direct interaction with customers to gather insights, while a Wizard of Oz MVP creates the illusion of a fully functioning product through human actions behind the scenes, enabling validation without full automation. Both approaches leverage human input to minimize costs and test market viability, with the key difference being customer awareness of human involvement. These methods are particularly useful for innovative ideas where existing market data is scarce, providing critical insights and validation before significant investment in development.