Prototype vs MVPexplained

A prototype exists to answer a question cheaply: does this flow make sense, does the design feel right, is this idea worth pursuing? It can be clickable screens with no real backend, or a rough demo that fakes the hard parts. Nobody relies on it, and you're happy to throw it away once it has told you what you needed to know.

An MVP, by contrast, is production software. It's real code, real data, and real users who depend on it working. You keep building on it. The bar for quality, security, and reliability is much higher because people are trusting it with their time or money.

Why the distinction matters for your budget: a prototype might take days and validate whether to build at all. An MVP takes weeks to months and validates whether people will use and pay for the real thing. Prototype first when the idea itself is unproven; go straight to MVP when you're confident in the idea and need to test the market.