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HiTech
6 minutes read

How to build an MVP as a non-tech founder

By Robert Kazmi
By Robert Kazmi
HiTech
6 minutes read

You don’t need to be a tech-savvy startup founder to build an MVP for your mobile app development project. Building a Minimum Viable Product is not as complicated as it may seem, and it is a valuable way to collect feedback from initial users. Sometimes a business idea is more than enough when it comes to a software product. Whether you are building a mobile or web product, you are on the right track as long as you have a clear idea of the core functionality.

Although building an MVP does not require technical expertise, it does demand consideration of the product idea. In this post, we discuss some of the things that any tech founder should consider to build an MVP that is strategically built for the long-term success of your business.

Minimum Viable Product Development

When it comes to creating a digital product, there is a lot to know, and even if you are a tech expert, you will probably never get your head around every little detail. Even an experienced development team eventually meets a bump in the road.

Software development can be a complex task. That is why, for startups, the best solution is to play it safe in the very beginning and build a Minimum Viable Product instead of a product that is too ambitious. By doing this, many risks can be avoided, and your business can save money. 

A Minimum Viable Product is an early version of a digital product. For example, it can be a prototype of a website or a mobile application. Minimum Viable Products prioritize features that your active users use to solve a problem, but MVPs don’t include all the other features of a final product.

Any strong MVP should have a clear value proposition. This allows startups to test their idea and get market validation while at the same time delivering a solution to a problem.

Why an MVP?

Companies that want to build complex software products too quickly usually end up struggling to hit the market, deliver something that works, and even worse, they end up having a difficult time when it comes to maintaining their mobile app or software. Product development is both an art and a science.

MVP development services help deliver a solid product that works and can be improved as time passes. An MVP won’t include all the features you want in your final product, but core functionalities and basic features will be present, so early adopters can provide their initial feedback and help improve the future product. 

A Minimum Viable Product gives your organization the ability to determine if there is a good product-market fit and measure user satisfaction with your app idea before investing additional time and resources. Ultimately, an MVP app will help you better understand and serve future customers.

To avoid the pitfalls of MVP development, there are several things that startups can do. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Aspects to Consider When Creating an MVP

Ideally, you should consider working with an experienced software development company to build an MVP. An MVP development company not only has the technical ability to bring your idea to life, but they will also have the industry experience to help you perform market research. 

However, this is not always a possibility. Many companies do not have the necessary resources to do so. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to deliver a successful MVP. To develop an MVP that fits your company’s strategic goals, make sure to consider the following:

Validate Your Idea

Idea validation, sometimes known as Ideation, is a key step in the process of building your MVP. During this MVP stage, you conduct research, refine your idea, make sure it is ready for development, and address its weak points. This will help you clearly define your target audience, understand the user flow of your app, and perform market research and competitor analysis, among other things. By doing this, you can be sure that your idea has been fully discussed and your team agrees on success criteria before moving to the next step.

User Acquisition

Although you first want to make sure that your digital product is up and running properly, you also want to think about how to win users. You need to understand the user journey and your target market. What do potential customers want from your product? Most importantly, understand what you offer that competitors don’t.

Test, Test, and Test Some More

During the testing stage of the development process, you will look for bugs and potential security issues. Quality Assurance is an important part of any development project, as it helps solve potential problems before your users find them and it disrupts their experience. A poorly built product will most likely end up being discarded by your initial customers, damaging your brand irreversibly. Make sure to work with qualified quality assurance engineers.

User Feedback

Even the most professional MVP development process falls short if it does not analyze feedback from end-users. So, before you hit the market, make sure to have a clear idea of how you will gather feedback and implement it. Having a clear feedback process in your development strategy can help your product improve every time new features are added to future iterations. 

Be Ready to Iterate

Most startups tend to think that their product is ready once it hits the market. The reality is that this is only where the real development stage begins. No app can hit the ground running and avoid rethinking even some of its most basic tasks. Be prepared to iterate, and don’t let this discourage you or your team members, even if it means rethinking your basic model. Building on top of what works is the only way to deliver your users a world-class product.

Wrapping It Up

If there is one thing that startup founders need to understand about MVP product development, it is the fact that there is no single correct MVP building process. Make sure to consider the suggestions mentioned above, and you will be on your way to building a powerful MVP that can attract customers. 

Working with product experts is one of the best things you can do to guarantee your MVP project’s success. Remember, no matter how good the application idea is, it will most likely fail if it does not work and is not thought out strategically.

Many startups fail because they want to skip the starting point of creating a basic MVP, and they waste time and resources on a project with no quantitative feedback from their target customer. If you need help to build an MVP, rely on an app development partner’s expertise and industry experience to guide you through the process.

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