Fixed-Price, Fixed-Outcome MVPs: How to Avoid Scope Creep and Missed Deadlines
The operating model that gets founders to market on time: fixed price, clear outcomes, tight scope control, and weekly demos that keep momentum.
Scope creep kills timelines. A fixed-price, fixed-outcome model keeps teams aligned and shipping.
The Model
- Fixed budget and deadline
- 3 feature cap with explicit acceptance criteria
- Weekly demos; anything not demoed is not “done”
Controls
- One change request meeting per week
- “Later list” for good ideas that threaten scope
- Feature flag non-essentials
Internal Links
- MVP timeline: /blog/mvp-development-timeline-2025-two-to-four-weeks
- The 7-page spec: /blog/seven-page-product-spec-for-fast-mvp-builds
Predictable delivery is a process choice, not a personality trait.