Software development is a complex process that requires a thorough understanding of the needs of prospective users. Experience shows that the viewpoints of industry experts may differ from those of end users, underscoring the importance of obtaining authentic insights into customer requirements. In this regard, the concept of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) offers an effective approach. It enables development teams to evaluate the product’s relevance and usefulness, collect valuable user feedback, and identify areas for enhancement.
Start with MVP
MVP is an abbreviation for Minimum Viable Product. In software development, it is recommended to create a version of the application that includes all essential functionalities while maintaining a simplified user interface. This version can be launched to gather initial user feedback. While feedback may include both positive and constructive criticism, analyzing user responses allows for targeted improvements, enabling the development of a more refined paid version.
Creating an MVP also makes finding investors as easy as possible. No matter how good your circuit board business is, people in business invest more effectively in projects that are well visualized. If an investor can try out your product, they are much more likely to invest.
Why is MVP popular?
The popularity of MVP is rapidly increasing due to its demonstrated effectiveness. However, there is a lack of widespread understanding regarding its importance and proper application.
There are 3 main dangers for an aspiring entrepreneur:
- Building an MVP in a form that is unnecessarily complex and expensive.
- The belief that one “MVP fits all” or that an MVP is always needed.
- Too long a development process that loses the core idea of ??the MVP.
MVP is an experiment that must be developed purposefully and well thought out at its core.
Common Pitfalls in Development MVP
One of the biggest mistakes founders make is confusing an MVP with a half-baked or buggy product. An MVP should be minimal but still viable—meaning it solves a real problem for users in a usable, reliable way. If your MVP crashes constantly or lacks basic functionality, users won’t see its potential; they’ll just assume your product is bad. Remember, the goal isn’t to cut corners on quality, but to focus only on the core features that deliver value.
Another common trap is launching an MVP without a clear hypothesis or success metric. Too many teams build something “simple,” throw it out into the world, and then wonder what to do with the feedback or worse, ignore it altogether. An effective MVP is part of a learning loop: you test a specific assumption (e.g., “Users will pay $10/month for this feature”), measure real behavior, and use those insights to decide whether to pivot, persevere, or scrap the idea. Without that focus, your MVP is just a guess in disguise.
The MVP Methodology
One of the QA testing agencies states that in the last year, interest in MVP has increased many times over. It leads to the fact that more and more researchers and scientists are starting to work on this issue. So, the minimum viable product can:
- Help potential users understand what the final product will look like. There is a saying, “It is better to see once than hear 100 times”. No matter how well you advertise your product or how bright your presentation is, users will be more willing to buy a program they have already used.
- Assess genuine interest in your product. So, even if your product is not yet ready for release, you can try to sell it. You can count the number of clicks on the “buy” or “download” button. Thus, you can visually assess how well your business plan is designed.
- Give users a free trial of your product in exchange for a review. Here it is necessary to consider the study itself, which the user will leave, and the time the person spent using it.
- Test the ability of the team to work and the entrepreneur’s ability to bring the best people into the business.
Before starting software development, entrepreneurs create various hypotheses. The main goal of the MVP is to confirm or refute them.
The average cost of website development depends on what functions it should perform. Thanks to the MVP, you will be able to understand which of them are essential and which ones can be abandoned.
Metrics to Measure MVP Success
When launching an MVP, it is important to move beyond simply monitoring download or sign-up numbers. While these figures can be encouraging, they do not provide insight into whether the product effectively meets users’ needs. Instead, focus on user behavior—are users completing the primary actions the product is designed to facilitate? This metric, known as the activation rate, is significantly more meaningful than superficial metrics.
Also, pay attention to retention. Do people come back after their first use? If not, your MVP might solve a problem nobody cares enough about. Track day-1 and day-7 retention to spot early warning signs. And if you’re asking for payment eventually, watch your conversion rate even from a free trial. These signals show whether you’re onto something real or just building something that looks good on paper.
Manifestations of the MVP
Experiments allow you to understand how viable your business concept is. They are of different types:
- prototypes,
- valorization,
- pilot projects,
- test sites,
- concierge service,
- demo and dummy landing pages.
The above tests are different types of MVPs needed to understand your project’s viability.
If you wish, you can choose the best software outsourcing models that will allow you to test your hypotheses in the best possible way.
Is it really effective?
Experience demonstrates that regardless of the type of software you develop (such as a comprehensive website, a mobile application, or specialized tools for particular professionals) a minimum viable product (MVP) will serve as a valuable asset in your project.
With this, you can predict the behavior of potential customers and investors based on actual numbers and research, and not just your desires or guesses. It is crucial to assess the possible risks here. Typically, MVPs are created when user behavior is fundamental to the growth of your business.
However, there are a few times when you can get by without an MVP. So, for example, if you know that your main competitor is planning to release a similar product shortly and will win the race, the one who finishes the work earlier, then you can refuse to create a prototype. That is why, before you start doing a project, you must carefully study the market and understand which programs are already on the market and which are soon announced for release.