If you’ve ever arranged soft dev, you’ve encountered MVP development services — the stage of the app evolution approach where we test the product with basic functionality. It’s not a compulsory step but has a few advantages, which we will discuss further.
What problems does the MVP crack?
- Lack of demand from users
If a software product or platform is innovative and groundbreaking, we can’t predict 100% how the market will accept it. So, the MVP version allows testing the demand for a service with the given functionality. This way, we can define the most priority features (which are profitable to evolve) and the minor ones (which are not important for users). So, after running the Minimum Viable Product, it’s necessary to go to the analytics level.
- An unprofitable business model
While launching the first version in production, we can test the case’s monetization system, uncover hidden costs, and identify the stages where users leave the app. Then, we can rebuild the application’s economics.
- Unpredictable difficulties in development
An MVP realization is more flexible and rude than the full version, but the architectures are generally similar. Therefore, the dev team can face limits and challenges early. This will help you predict the cost of resources and the required time for the final release. Celadonsoft engineers always explain why they picked certain technologies for the project.
- Inconvenient UX
Beyond the OSs and business indicators, we can evaluate the user experience. MVP is convenient for testing hypotheses and allows us to avoid best practices. There is a chance to make a product more pleasing and convenient for specific audiences.
The process of building an MVP
- Describe the idea and the main aim
Before starting development, we must formulate what and why we will develop clearly. What kind of product, and what problem does it solve? What audience does the product/business have? How will monetization work? Who will use this product inside the business? Are there ready-made products/platforms/projects on the market that solve this problem and can be used instead of custom development? These questions are important because they determine the needs of this application. - Select the key functions
To launch the first version, we need to highlight the key functionality, the absence of which will lead the product to lose its meaning. All minor ones are excluded for now. To test a hypothesis and assess demand, MVP should be as simple as possible and focus on the user’s main problem. - Create a technical task
Then we can formalize the technical requirements. When drawing up the terms of reference, it is necessary to describe all the requirements from all stakeholders for the application: how the business model will work, how many personal accounts and user roles it should contain, which countries need localization, which payment systems need to be connected, which integrations with other systems should be considered. - Select tools for implementation
At this step, after understanding what functionality we want in the web service, we choose a set of technologies that enables us to develop MVPs that are the simplest, fastest, and cheapest. - Product logic development
After managing everything above, we are ready to proceed to the internal product logic. Namely, prescribe user paths for each role, describe client roles and privacy settings, and create a status model for orders, payments, and users’ personal accounts. - UX/UI design, backend, and frontend development
Having ready-made wireframes and product logic makes design much easier. We can create a database when we have a visual prototype of an interface. After that, we can create a front end and attach business logic/functionality for each element. - Testing and launching the app in production
QA and the development team usually do this. Your business owner’s task is recruiting users to the web application. - Analytics and improvement planning
In the last stage, we need to process the results of releasing the first version: return on investment, number of errors, user satisfaction, and so on…
Why does business need MVPs?
While working on the app with the outsourcing company, the offer to implement an MVP typically comes from the seller. But the customer-business is most interested in the practice. And that’s why:
- Quick release
MVP enables us to introduce a product to users swiftly. This has particular significance for nascent enterprises and startups seeking to validate their concept and obtain authentic consumer input.
- Saving resources
Creating a complete product is often expensive and time-consuming. While making an MVP, a dev team focuses on key functions and doesn’t spend extra resources.
- Reducing risks
If the MVP does not attract users or solve their problems, it may signal reconsidering the strategy.
