MVP vs Prototype vs Landing Page — Pick the Right First Ship

TL;DR: Landing page = validate interest. Prototype = click-through demo. MVP = real users, real data, one core loop. Pick the smallest step that answers your actual question.

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Founders say "MVP" when they mean three different things. Mislabeling the goal wastes money and time.

Landing page

Best when: You need emails, waitlist signups, or ad conversion data.

• Static or lightly dynamic marketing site
• No user accounts required
• Fastest path to "is anyone interested?"

Not enough when: You need retention data, payments, or multi-user workflows.

Prototype

Best when: You need to demo a flow to investors or design partners.

• Clickable UI, often fake data
• May skip auth, webhooks, or edge cases
• Proves concept, not operations

Not enough when: You plan to charge money or onboard strangers without hand-holding.

MVP (our default)

Best when: You need proof that users complete a real action and come back.

• Authentication + database
• One core loop shipped and deployed
• Stripe when money is part of the hypothesis
• Preview URL you can share

That is what Spark, Launch, and Scale are sized for — increasing scope and integrations, not increasing slide count.

Quick decision table

Question you need answered	First ship
Will anyone click "Get started"?	Landing page
Can I tell the story in a meeting?	Prototype
Will a stranger pay or repeat a key action?	MVP

Scope discipline

If you are on a 24-hour timeline, choose one row in the table. Trying to ship landing page + prototype + MVP in one sprint is how nothing ships.

Ready to pick?

Compare tiers, see what to prepare, then sign in and submit.