This article sums up well about the dangers in not precisely capturing customer expectations (a.k.a. Software Requirements) while working on a Minimum Viable Product. It elaborates how MVP can be confused with Version 1 of the product, or with a completed product (with High Product Expectations).
While the write-up is great, the questions that are proposed to be asked to the customer to get the expectations need more depth. To be precise, some kind of framework is needed that can be used once and every time when the questions are posed to the customer, of course in an iterative fashion throughout the product development.
Recently, I chatted with Payson Hall, an experienced Project Manager on Software Requirements. You can watch the video here:
It’s important to manage customer expectations by capturing the requirements correctly, avoiding scope creep and wastage, and coming up with Minimum Viable Product, and additional features that would highlight the product against its competitors. Analyzing requirements along with a Software Testing person who can provide valuable inputs about whether the product is doing the right things for the business in its context would really help properly frame requirements that would benefit the business. A Software Tester would have a critical eye that would augment the product owner and the business analysts’ analysis of the requirements.
If your company needs help on how to gather requirements, how to prioritize the requirements, or Software Testing, you could reach out to me.