MVP Startup Development: What is MVP?
Minimum viable product (MVP) is a working version of an application that has the core functionality - only the features that provide the user flow fitting the selected business model.
It ultimately lets you get the relevant real user feedback and attract the investors’ attention, as well as discover the viability of all other features planned to be implemented further.
In fact, your idea is a simple hypothesis that should be tested and checked carefully. To do it, you need to:
For instance, if you are working on a booking app for hotels, the MVP should have only the basic features - selection and booking of a hotel room. Further on, the app can be added with all the “extras”, like online payment systems, car rental opportunities, etc.
Once again, MVP is not an unfinished product but a completed app that implements the essence of the idea and requires little time to develop. With MVP you may reduce the development period as you will be able to encounter, which app ideas would be the most useful due to the real feedback from users.
MVP as the Basis for a Successful Startup
The launch of any business is fraught with risks, especially if it is a lean startup. At the very beginning, you need to establish sharp-cut criteria of success and failure and consistently move to the triumph.
It may seem that everything is clear but time is against developers. Things change rapidly: technologies, tools, market, and project requirements. The creation of the minimum viable product allows receiving results and correcting them, taking the changing conditions into account.
Requirements for a Minimum Viable Product
The most important requirement for MVP is that the basic idea itself must carry a value. If the project is not completed and useless to the client, no one will be interested in a complex architecture, excellent productivity, or extensive functions. You need to implement the most useful features inexpensively and quickly.
That’s why, apart from the sufficient, useful functionality and interface, it’s also crucial to have an efficient product marketing strategy. Any software product is worth nothing without an interesting audience of users.
There may be different criteria for the success of MVP depending on a specific project. It may be:
- A number of users acquired in the first three months, the initial volume of sales
- The total number of downloads over a certain period of time
- The dynamics of traffic growth
- you name it. This depends on a particular direction you take with your business/project/startup and your adopted marketing strategy.
Summary
You should understand that MVP is not a raw version of the app, it is more like a minimal version that lets the users evaluate the idea. In fact, it is your way to success as the customer feedback will help you to understand what is necessary to focus on.
Another metaphor for MVP is the so-called cupcake principle. To understand how the whole cake will taste there is no need to prepare one. It is enough to make a small cupcake but make sure it is better than the competitors as it is the chance to attract the clients’ attention.
Moreover, even if you have really good app ideas, you shouldn’t be afraid to disclose them. Your fears are your worst enemy that may prevent you from creating a great MVP.
In any case, the best choice would be contracting the expert developers. Do you have an app idea of your own? If you want top-notch professional app developers to help you implement it most beneficially, then feel free to contact our team. We provide full-stack development outsourcing with a guaranteed result.
We’ll show you where to best start and lead you through the whole cycle of project implementation, like so:
- We start with a professional consultation & analysis of your particular business - its tendencies & niche;
- We continue by clarifying how you can create an MVP based on your initial idea, which features should be included in it right away & which can wait for further implementation;
- Then, we’ll help you minimize the required development budget & time resources, get you a mark-up of the end product, & aid you up until the moment of software deployment & release.