5 Steps to Mastering the MVP Development Process
Head of Business Growth at JetRockets
Building an MVP is one of the first steps that founders take on the road to realizing their dreams.
Basically, an MVP is kind of like a simplified version of your final product. The point of launching an MVP is to test the market to see if there’s any demand- and to change course if not.
You can build an MVP for virtually any kind of tech product. Although the process will look slightly different from project to project, the basics come down to five steps:
- Know your market
- Identify the problem you want to solve
- Make a great user interface
- Collect as much feedback as possible
- Iterate & improve
In many cases, new founders choose to work with an MVP development service, like JetRockets, to ensure that they do it right.
1. Know your market
The point of an MVP is to test the market to see if there is demand for your product. But before you even start, you should do some research to make sure that it at least looks like there will be demand.
This is like a scientist doing research to form an accurate hypothesis before carrying out an experiment.
Identify your core audience. This could be multiple different groups. Construct detailed buyer personas for each, explaining their problems and their reason for buying your product.
Identify your competitors. Find out what they are doing right, and especially what they are doing wrong.
Take surveys and ask questions. Look for places where you will find your core audience, such as online forums and in-person conventions.
Talk to market research companies. Sometimes they have niche information ready for sale. They also might be willing to do custom research for a fee.
2. Identify the problem you want to solve
Your MVP will be more likely to succeed if it does an amazing job of fixing one particular problem that people have. It will be easier to build, and easier to market, if you focus on this pain point.
Once you know the exact problem you want to solve, focus on creating an effective solution.
You should strive to put your product’s purpose into a single, clear value proposition. This is the kind of statement that companies place right in the center of their website homepages
3. Make a great user interface
UX design is something that people often make the mistake of ignoring, but it is super important. Nobody wants to use a poorly designed app or website. In fact, one report suggests that 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a website after a bad user experience.
Not only should your project solve a specific problem really well, it should be super easy and intuitive to use it to solve that problem.
4. Collect as much feedback as possible
Whether your MVP flops or dominates the market, the real prize is customer feedback. Even if no one likes it, you will succeed so long as you learn why no one likes it.
Thomas Edison famously failed to make a lightbulb over 1,000 times. He considered this a success, since he learned 1,000 ways not to make a lightbulb.
With software MVPs, there are a few ways to collect feedback:
In-app surveys, which you can nudge users into completing through push notifications.
App store reviews and ratings, which are a valuable public indication of success.
Indirect information, such as time spent using the app, and the features used the most.
5. Iterate & Improve
Launching an MVP is really just the first step in a long iterative process. Almost never will it be perfect on the first try. Instead, you should aim to change and adjust what you have, improving it to meet customer demand.
Over time, by zig-zagging back and forth like this, it is possible to significantly improve on your original idea and reach product market fit.
Sometimes founders discover that some people use their MVP for a slightly different purpose than was intended. This is good information to know, as it is a new angle to pursue for marketing and for development.
Building an MVP with JetRockets
MVPs are a core part of our business, as we work with many founders to launch their products from start to finish.
Our MVP Builder program is geared specifically towards this end. We guide founders through the process of discovery, scoping, design development, review, and post-launch support.
As I said, launching is just the beginning. That’s why we offer two types of support after launch:
- A one-time ability to create new features for the next iteration.
- Ongoing monthly support to maintain and enhance features in your roadmap.
This flexibility gives you the opportunity to decide what’s the best next step for your vision.
Have a great idea for a new mobile app? Let’s talk about it!
