Minimal Viable Documentation (MVD)

Minimal Viable Documentation (MVD) Guide

What is Minimal Viable Documentation (MVD)?

Minimal Viable Documentation (MVD) is an approach to documentation that focuses on creating just enough documentation to meet the immediate needs of stakeholders while avoiding excessive paperwork. Inspired by the concept of Minimal Viable Product (MVP) from agile methodologies, MVD aims to produce only documentation that adds value and serves a clear purpose.

Why is MVD Important?

MVD is crucial in modern software development for several reasons:

1. Reduces waste: Eliminates time spent creating documents that may become outdated or remain unread.
2. Improves efficiency: Teams focus on delivering value rather than extensive documentation.
3. Promotes adaptability: Lighter documentation is easier to maintain as requirements evolve.
4. Enhances collaboration: When documentation is concise and purposeful, it's more likely to be used by team members.
5. Balances agility with governance: Provides necessary information for compliance and knowledge transfer while maintaining agile principles.

How MVD Works

Core Principles of MVD:

1. Just Enough, Just in Time: Create documentation when it's needed and only to the extent required.
2. Value-Driven: Each document must serve a clear purpose and provide value to stakeholders.
3. Living Documents: Documentation evolves as the project progresses, rather than being created upfront.
4. Audience-Focused: Tailor documentation to the specific needs of its intended audience.
5. Format Flexibility: Use the most appropriate format (wiki, comments in code, diagrams, etc.) for the information being conveyed.

Implementing MVD:

1. Identify Essential Documentation: Determine what documentation is truly necessary by asking:
- Who needs this information?
- Why do they need it?
- What decisions will be made based on it?
- What risks are mitigated by documenting this?

2. Prioritize Documentation Types:
- High-level architecture overviews
- API specifications
- User guides for complex features
- Decision records for significant choices
- Regulatory or compliance-required documentation

3. Choose Appropriate Detail Level: The level of detail should match the complexity and criticality of what's being documented.

4. Integrate with Development Process: Make documentation part of regular development activities rather than a separate phase.

5. Review and Refine: Regularly assess if documentation is serving its purpose and update or remove as needed.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on MVD

1. Understand the Concept Thoroughly:
- MVD is about creating just enough documentation, not eliminating it completely
- It focuses on value and purpose over comprehensive coverage
- It aligns with agile principles but recognizes the need for some documentation

2. Balance is Key:
- Emphasize that MVD seeks the right balance between too much and too little documentation
- Highlight that MVD is context-dependent – what's "minimal" varies by project and organization

3. Common Question Types and Approaches:

Scenario-based questions: When presented with a scenario, analyze:
- Who are the stakeholders and what are their information needs?
- What documentation provides the highest value in this context?
- What risks exist if certain information isn't documented?

Comparison questions: When comparing MVD to traditional documentation approaches:
- Focus on efficiency, adaptability, and value-based decision making in MVD
- Acknowledge situations where more comprehensive documentation might be needed

Implementation questions: When asked about implementing MVD:
- Suggest starting with an audit of current documentation to identify what's valuable
- Recommend incremental changes rather than abrupt shifts
- Emphasize stakeholder involvement in determining documentation needs

4. Key MVD Criteria to Reference:
- Documentation should have a clear purpose and audience
- Information should be accessible when and where it's needed
- Documentation should be maintainable with reasonable effort
- The format should match the content and audience needs

5. Connect to Broader Agile Principles:
- Relate MVD to the agile value of "working software over comprehensive documentation" - Show how MVD supports responding to change over following a plan
- Explain how MVD enables customer collaboration

6. Address Common Misunderstandings:
- Clarify that MVD is not about having no documentation
- Explain that MVD may actually require more thought than traditional documentation approaches
- Note that MVD is adaptable to regulated environments by focusing on required documentation

Remember that MVD represents a mindset shift from "document everything just in case" to "document what adds value right now." This principle should guide your exam answers, showing that you understand both the practical and philosophical aspects of this approach.