# Minimum Viable Architecture

> An approach in which a system starts with only the structure its current quality attributes require, and defers the rest until a force demands it.

Record: `architecture:minimum-viable-architecture`
Kind: approach
Layer: [Evolution Principles](https://banes-lab.com/records/layer/evolution-principles.md)
Severity: contextual
Scope: greenfield, early product
Canonical: https://banes-lab.com/ontology#architecture-minimum-viable-architecture

Listed in [Architecture principles](https://banes-lab.com/api/records/architecture.md), after [Evolutionary Architecture](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/evolutionary-architecture.md) and before [Greenfield Development](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/greenfield-development.md).

## Repair

- Refactored by: Simplify, Defer Optional Mechanisms
- Detected by: unused abstractions/infrastructure
- Violated by: adding complex patterns before need
- Measured by: architecture complexity vs need
- Enforced by: [design review](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/design-review.md)

## Requires

- [Essential Quality Attributes](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/essential-quality-attributes.md)

## Reinforces

- [Simplicity](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/simplicity.md)

## Enables

- [Early Delivery with Guardrails](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/early-delivery-with-guardrails.md)

## Conflicts with

- [Architecture Astronaut](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/architecture-astronaut.md)
- [Over-Abstraction](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/over-abstraction.md)
- [Speculative Generality](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/speculative-generality.md)

## In tension with

- [Future Scalability](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/future-scalability.md)

## Tensions

- [Minimum Viable Architecture / Future Scalability](https://banes-lab.com/records/tension/future-scalability-minimum-viable-architecture.md)

## Severity

- [contextual](https://banes-lab.com/records/vocabulary/severity-contextual.md)

## Category

- [Architecture Review / Evolution / Governance Artifacts](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture-category/architecture-review-evolution-governance-artifacts.md)

## Linked from

- [Anti-patterns](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/principles/architecture-category-anti-patterns.md)
- [Architecture Review Evolution Governance](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/lexicon/lexicon-category-architecture-review-evolution-governance.md)
- [Quality Attributes](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/lexicon/lexicon-category-quality-attributes.md)
- [Severity levels](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-vocabulary-severity.md)
- [The resolutions](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-resolutions.md)