MVP development for startups
Businesses of all sizes, from startups to established ones, can get MVP software development services from PNN Soft. Our main advantage is experience, as we have been providing software and application development services for various industries for over 20 years. We have worked on many large projects and also finished MVP solutions that have helped our customers bring their digital projects up to date. However, before we delve into this issue, let’s look at what a minimum viable product is and why startups need it.
A working version of a product with important features that can meet the needs of the user and clearly present the product idea to the market is what MVP is about. This short-term answers the questions: what is a minimum viable product? Thus, the team’s task is to present a balanced proposal with a minimum of implemented solutions. This approach allows for real-world testing of the product in real conditions. The information obtained can be used to modernize the application, improve it, or, in some cases, the business can thoroughly change its strategy and idea. Here comes the answer to the “what is MVP in business” question.
Minimizing risks is the main reason why startups should pay attention to the development of an MVP version of a software project. It will help to determine user demand for specific services, get the first user feedback, and feel the competition. Whether your startup idea is to develop a corporate or commercial solution, the MVP will offer useful data.
There are several approaches to the development of a minimum product that can be used to divide this type of product.
1) Functional MVP is a basic version of the product with key features that can solve the needs of the end user.
2) Landing Page MVP is a landing page that describes the product and its benefits. The goal is to check the demand for development and the interest of the audience in the offer.
3) Wizard of Oz MVP – such a minimum viable product looks like an automated product for the user, but in fact, some (or all) of the logic is performed manually by the startup team. For example, a user makes a request for a movie recommendation in a certain genre, and the recommendation is manually made by a person, not by the app’s algorithm. This method allows you to test the usability of the interface and determine the need for certain functionality without implementing the technical side. The Concierge MVP approach is very similar to this MVP concept. In this case, the team manually provides the service to understand the needs of customers. Both approaches are useful in cases where the technical implementation of the product is very complex and expensive, and the customer has doubts about the demand for the service.
4) Prototype/Demo MVP is an interactive prototype or video that demonstrates how the product works.
An MVP should not be a poor-feature product, but a focused one – one main functional solution for the target audience wrapped in a minimalist design.
The task of creating a minimum viable product has its own peculiarities. Since it is a simplified solution, it is easier to develop and, accordingly, the development time is shorter. However, a high-quality MVP app requires a thorough evaluation.
First, it is necessary to identify the core value that the app ultimately pursues. Determine the target functionality of the product and highlight only one most important hypothesis. MVP development for startups requires special experience of the development team. Experience with different projects and in different industries will help to conduct a full and balanced analysis. This analysis answers the questions: Must have / Should have / Could have / Won’t have.
For MVP solutions, user research is essential, especially if it is a commercial product. Although the MVP app itself is a research tool, in some cases, a preliminary demand assessment may be required. A startup can conduct an online survey, launch a product landing page, evaluate competitors’ offers and users’ opinions about competitors’ products. These simple and basic steps are essential for developing a high-quality minimum viable product define.
The length of the MVP software design process varies based on the nature of the product and the technical solutions that will be included. It can take several weeks to three months. The process is divided into request assessment, communication with the customer, development (prototyping, basic design and functionality, and release). PNN Soft adheres to Agile and Scrum methodologies, which are the most effective for MVP development. This approach is more flexible and allows for efficient updates and adaptations. Before starting development, we hold a kick-off meal. The process includes discussing the startup’s business goals. Then a backlog is formed, and MVP criteria are agreed upon. A small team is usually enough for MVP development for startups: a product manager, 1-2 developers, 1 UX/UI designer, and 1 tester.
The benefits of MVPs for a startup are difficult to overestimate, especially in the early stages of development. First, it is the speed of market entry: instead of many months of development, a startup can present its idea in just a few weeks. Secondly, minimal costs: there is no need to invest in the development of full-fledged functionality that may not be needed. MVP allows you to get real feedback from users – instead of guesswork, the team has specific data on what works and what doesn’t. This ensures flexibility – the product can be easily adapted to market needs, even before scaling. In addition, MVP helps to reduce risks by allowing you to test hypotheses before making a major investment. In some cases, an MVP is used to show investors a working concept as soon as possible – even if the ‘stuffing’ is not yet ready, it is important to make an impression. Finally, to clear what is MVP in business, we consider that it is an effective way to understand how users expect a product to work, which allows you to create a solution that is truly in demand by the market.
So, after launching a minimal software solution, the startup conducts observations, collects feedback and reactions from the target audience. We offer an MVP methodology for product evaluation to understand in time that the MVP is ready for scaling.
❖ You have a stable demand or growth.
❖ There is clear feedback on strengths and shortcomings. As an additional solution, you can add surveys to your MVP app. Apart from being an effective way to get genuine feedback from users, it is also an interactive element that gets the audience more involved.
❖ Users are willing to pay or already pay for your app’s services. The startup conducts a comprehensive analysis of user behavior.
❖ KPIs are achieved: number of users, conversions, engagement. MVP entrepreneurship also identifies the main patterns of product usage. Sometimes the results obtained can significantly change the original idea of creating a digital product.
❖ Our team is ready to help your startup create a product development roadmap based on real needs and provide an extended development team to expand the MVP solution.
First and foremost, these are early-stage startups. MVP offers to test an idea at minimal cost. Also, the development of a minimum viable product will be useful for companies that are testing new software solutions but do not want to associate the product with the main business. In this case, the MVP acts as a safety cushion when creating an innovative solution. According to the minimum viable product definition, we consider that MVP is suitable for any niche where there is uncertainty.
An MVP is not an unfinished product, but a tool for testing an idea in a real environment. MVP development for startups with PNN Soft is a reliable way to get feedback as quickly and cheaply as possible. If you are a startup, MVP will help you avoid fatal mistakes at an early stage and focus on the real needs of users. If you have an idea for a civic product startup, you can write to us and our technical experts will provide advice. We are ready to help with the development of the technical task, and implement each stage of evaluating the effectiveness of your
