Embarking on the journey of building an Identity Platform (IDP) can feel like scaling a mountain. The sheer scope of features, security considerations, and integrations can be overwhelming, often leading to delays and stalled projects. But what if you could start with a manageable foothold, a minimal yet functional version that delivers immediate value? This is where the concept of the Thinnest Viable Platform (TVP) comes into play.
Think of a TVP as the absolute bare minimum required for your IDP to achieve its core purpose. It’s not about building a fully featured, bells-and-whistles system from day one. Instead, it’s about identifying the most critical functionalities and implementing them efficiently. This blog post will walk you through the steps to build your own TVP and kickstart your IDP journey.
Why Embrace the TVP Approach for Your IDP?
Starting with a TVP offers numerous advantages:
- Faster Time-to-Market: By focusing on essential features, you can launch your initial IDP much quicker, allowing you to validate your assumptions and gather early feedback.
- Reduced Costs: A smaller scope translates to lower development costs and resource allocation. You can prove the value of your IDP before making significant investments.
- Easier Iteration: With a lean initial version, making changes and adding new features based on user feedback becomes significantly easier and less risky.
- Focused Learning: Concentrating on core functionalities allows your team to gain valuable experience and understanding of the underlying technologies and processes.
- Mitigating Risk: By starting small, you reduce the risk of building a complex system that doesn’t meet the actual needs of your users.
Identifying the Core of Your IDP: What’s Absolutely Essential?
Before diving into implementation, you need to define the absolute minimum functionalities your IDP needs to provide. Ask yourself:
- What is the primary problem this IDP aims to solve? (e.g., centralizing user authentication, managing user access to a specific application).
- What are the absolute must-have features to address this problem? (e.g., user registration, login with username and password).
- Who are the initial target users, and what are their basic needs?
For many initial IDPs, the core might revolve around:
- Basic User Authentication: Allowing users to securely identify themselves (e.g., username/password login).
- User Profile Management: Enabling users to create and potentially manage basic profile information.
- Secure Storage of Credentials: Implementing secure methods for storing and managing user credentials.
Steps to Building Your Thinnest Viable Platform for Your IDP
- Define Your Core Requirements: Clearly document the absolute minimum features required for your initial IDP. Be ruthless in prioritizing what’s truly essential.
- Choose Your Technology Stack Wisely: Opt for technologies and frameworks that are known for their simplicity and ease of use for your core requirements. Consider open-source solutions or managed services that can reduce the initial development overhead.
- Focus on Security Fundamentals: Even in a TVP, security cannot be an afterthought. Implement basic security measures like password hashing, secure communication (HTTPS), and protection against common vulnerabilities.
- Prioritize User Experience: While minimal, the user experience of your TVP should still be intuitive and functional. A smooth basic login process is crucial for initial adoption.
- Implement and Test Thoroughly: Rigorous testing is essential, even for a small set of features. Ensure that the core functionalities work reliably and securely.
- Gather Early Feedback: Once your TVP is functional, release it to a small group of early adopters and actively solicit their feedback. This will provide invaluable insights for future iterations.
Also read: How Zero Trust Architecture Fits into DevOps Automation
Iterate and Grow: From TVP to a Robust IDP
Remember, your TVP is just the starting point. Based on the feedback you receive and the evolving needs of your users, you can gradually add more features and functionalities. This iterative approach allows you to build a robust and well-aligned IDP over time, minimizing wasted effort and maximizing value delivery.
Building an Identity Platform doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing endeavor. By embracing the concept of the Thinnest Viable Platform, you can take a practical and agile approach, delivering value early and continuously improving your IDP based on real-world usage and feedback.
