These terms are often confused but represent different stages in the product development journey:
Prototype: A non-functional or partially functional simulation of your product used primarily for design validation and user experience testing. Prototypes can't be used by real customers and don't include backend functionality.
Proof of Concept (POC): A limited implementation focused on validating technical feasibility rather than business viability. POCs answer the question "Can we build this?" but not "Should we build this?"
Minimum Viable Product (MVP): A fully functional product with just enough features to validate business hypotheses and provide value to early users. MVPs are released to real customers and generate actionable feedback and metrics.
We can help you determine which approach makes the most sense based on your current stage and what you need to validate.