MVP app development: build your minimal viable product

Anyone running a successful startup will attest that there’s more to building a successful app than just a laptop and programming skills. Like any other investment, you’ll need money and time. And even then, there’s always the risk of failure.

Well, one launch strategy major players today use to safeguard their investments and test their business ideas beforehand is through a minimum viable product (MVP).

With an MVP, you can determine if the digital product you are creating has a market in the first place. It will help define the value you bring to the table, the problem you intend to solve, and if there is a market for it.

Want to learn more? Here’s everything you need to know about MVP app development.

What is an MVP?

An MVP or Minimal Viable Product is simply the most basic version of a product that supports some minimal yet fundamental features. In mobile app development, for instance, an MVP of the mobile app should have enough core functionalities to appeal to early adopters. This will provide them with value.

With that, you might say that the aim of an MVP in the development process is to get a product to market faster and offer solutions to customers who need them sooner. This way, product developers can test the market and get feedback for future app development.

It is imperative that the product actually sells or provides proof of concept to qualify as an MVP.

Why is an MVP so crucial?

As the name suggests, an MVP is one way of seeing if the product is viable before committing to full-scale product development. Other than proof of concept, you can gain a lot more from this, including:

• Secure funding – One way of convincing investors to lend you their money is by proving that your app idea can actually work or attract your target users. MVPs are quick-to-market, low-cost ways to do this.
• Saves money – Through user feedback on the MVP, you can focus your money on developing only the most needed features and save on what is not needed.
• Confirm if your product fits in – As good as your product idea might be, it might not fit into the market you are targeting. An MVP will save you time perfecting a failing product.
• You get real feedback – Feedback determines product stress points and failures. Through being an MVP, you share your app with real-world users and receive first-hand feedback. This can contribute a long way to helping you develop a more user-friendly product.

What are the steps to building an MVP?

Even after implementing MVPs, many startups still fail to launch. The main problem here is that most of these companies fail to follow the proper steps in MVP development.

The MVP development process has 4 main phases:

Always begin with market research

Your first move as an entrepreneur should always be to ensure there’s an actual need for your product on the market. Is your application solving an existing problem? If the answer is yes, then go ahead.

Market research like this can be done through surveys, interviews, or online questionnaires.

Also, consider your competitors. Ask yourself what more you can offer and how your product can stand out. Also, how large is your target audience? Is there room for your product?

Other than guiding your software development process, this information can help you set long-term goals and metrics to measure them. This can include MVP app retention, conversion rates, and total sales.

Look for opportunities

Opportunities on the market are often found where others fail. Therefore, your next step in the development process should be to check your competitors’ products. You should spot gaps between their products and user experience.

You can find all this information on their websites. You can observe how their users interact with their mobile apps or even interact with them yourself and see where they’re lacking.

This way, you can define your custom MVP app’s value proposition. For an MVP to work, it should be able to add value even in its most primitive state.

Priorities of the features to build

In this phase, your development team can start by brainstorming and listing all the features the app might have to offer. Afterward, you can separate the must-haves from the complementary ones.

One technique every MVP development company uses today is mapping out user flows. This means looking at the application from a user’s perspective, from when they first open the app to when they obtain the service. This will help determine the most essential features to help them get there faster.

Don’t forget to include all the stand-out features your competitors lack. It’s crucial that your MVP offers something extra to attract user attention.

Validate and test your MPV

Before the final product launch, best practice dictates that you present it to a controlled crowd for validation. This can be friends and family, a small sample, or testing companies. Once this is done, you can go live.

Remember, MVP software development is only a means to an end. So, even after getting all-positive feedback from early adopters, it should only help you deliver a fuller, more comprehensive product.