Over the past seven years, our mobile app development team has been involved in many successful digital products. We have reached out to a diverse range of sectors - from healthcare to finance. Experience has taught us that starting with an MVP (minimum viable product) is the best strategy for increasing chances of success. That's why we decided to strenghten our position and build startups differently than others.
What does MVP stand for?
We define MVP as a product that has enough functionality to be executable & presentable to customers. These first users provide valuable feedback that helps further product development and, unlike testers or polls, they are real. The idea of an MVP is simple:
- Small products = faster development.
- Faster development = faster idea validation.
- Faster idea validation = cost savings and the ability to change the direction of product development to meet the need of users, at relatively low cost and, above all, on time.
Start and don't dwell on nonsense!
Do you know what features Instagram offered to their users when they first found their way into their mobiles? A total of 12 filters and a main feed! You'd be looking for the ability to search, tag, or share stories without any success. All these features came later, much later. Exactly after the creators tested their product on the market and knew what features users wanted.
And that's what an MVP strategy is all about – to effectively collect user feedback and add features that reflect their real needs and have business value.
Building MVP products brings investors many benefits
- Test your key business concepts as soon as possible - you don't need to build an entire app to see if users like it (but most importantly, if they need it). MVP is a version of your product, with basic features used to launch your product as quickly as possible and test your business plan. By offering a simplified version, instead of a fully developed product, you can easily validate your hypotheses, get feedback, get your product on the market quickly and reduce costs.
- Create a strong business plan – the more features you add to your app, the higher its cost. At this stage, it's important to remember that you don't need a "nice to have" feature to prove if your product is worth it. To begin with, you need a strong business plan. A functional and proven MVP will help you implement this plan correctly and eliminate dead ends.
- Start developing your product as soon as possible - MVP means you go to the market with only basic features. A step that will allow you to build a user base and find out what works (and what doesn't!). This information will be very important - it will help you make strategic decisions and in the further development of the product. For example, you'll also find out which features to add and which ones to reject. This way you focus your budget on features that really help increase sales and ROI. In other words - users will really appreciate them.
- Reduce development costs - delivery of fine-tuned mobile apps often takes months of hard work. And you can be sure that the resulting price tag corresponds to this effort. The MVP is designed so that you can launch it as soon as possible. This will bring the highest value to your business in the shortest possible time, while minimizing costs.
MVP is absolutely ideal
- if the product is successful, you will soon receive revenue from users or a convenient position for dealing with investors
- if there is not a huge interest in your product, it will not hurt so badly, because the hiccups will be captured in time. You quickly apply changes that will - in the end - bring the desired outcome.
What do you need to get started?
Do you have an idea for an online project? Great! Here are few things to prepare:
- Write down the main sales features of your app. Will it help users solve their problems or reach their goal? Will it allow them to complete the task faster with better results? We often help our clients to create a business model as well. We will be happy to help you on this part too.
- List all the features that the app needs to make your idea work. Really, focus only on the main functionality. Leave the features that would be nice to have for now. Think about every feature you add to the list. Maybe you don't need an automated payment system for the first version of the app? Maybe you can issue invoices once a week manually?
- Further simplify. Do you need users to register and sign in to the app? You may lose an audience that doesn't want to register and create an account yet. There are many ways to simplify your idea and process for users. They all help save money with design and development. Our team will help you get rid of features that the MVP doesn't need and point you to your core business.
How does the cooperation work?
- We begin with workshops to help you verify your idea. We find the main value it brings to the users. We can't get to work without it.
- Based on our knowledge of the workshops, UI and UX designers will prepare a prototype of the project. Together we will test the design. Taste, season, rinse and repeat.
- Our team of developers will bring the app to life, and our testers will be tasked with keeping the app error-free.
- To see how the app grows, we'll be in touch with you during development. This will take place right in front of your eyes.
Did the concept of MVP spark any interest within you? Lets have a chat with us. Independently.
