Discover the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach: launch faster, get feedback, and refine. Understand why MVPs are essential for startups to validate concepts and captivate early adopters.
Entrepreneurs are extremely motivated visionaries – yet they often make the mistake of focusing on the Big Problem rather than achieving a minimum viable product (MVP) first. The fact is that companies looking for IT outsourcing companies often misunderstand or underestimate the potential of an MVP. Let's take a closer look.
The final product is a lamp: the MVP is a candle
Fire creates light, but it is not portable.
Candles are portable, but weak and fragile.
Lamps are reliable but demanding.
LED lights are efficient but disconnected.
Smart lights are connected, but…
In the IT outsourcing industry, an MVP is a development model in which a product is built with enough features to satisfy the needs of early adopters. The key here is to learn. Once the MVP is released, the owning company can begin designing and adding new features based on the feedback received from its early adopters.
This is perhaps the main reason why a company should develop an MVP: to collect maximum validated learning about customers with minimum effort. Once customers have the actual product in their hands, observing their behavior and the way they interact with it will be a much more reliable way to uncover insights than simply asking.
The 3 keys to MVP development
Just like with light, founders of new companies or products must have a clear vision of the problem or need they aim to solve.
#1 Start small
Designing a simple product that solves a small problem is the perfect way to start.
Study the market, identify a need and think about how it could be solved for a small group of people using minimal resources.
#2 Don't stop learning
Work from a cyclical perspective and continually iterate.
The goal of the first MVP is to gather the information that drives the product's evolution toward solving larger business problems.
#3 Focus on your vision
Great products are not just products – they constantly communicate the vision of a better world.
This will attract attention and lead the product through a streamlined journey of constant improvement.
A delicate balance
When an IT outsourcing company develops an MVP, the goal is to balance minimal design with maximum value. However, focusing too much on minimalism can result in a product that is unsuitable for collecting valuable insights. It may even have a negative effect on the brand's reputation, as users will create an overall negative impression of the product.
The key to finding balance in MVP development is to start by clearly defining the essential functions that give value to the product and make the project viable. As testing begins and feedback comes in, additional features may continue to be added. The response received from these new changes is the only way to ensure that the product will live up to what users want or expect.
How to develop a successful MVP
The key steps for successful MVP development.
#1 Research and Analysis
Ideas are only as valuable as the market decides they are. Before developing any type of MVP, it is essential to determine whether it meets the needs of the target user. Conducting research is often a good starting point and increases the chances of success. By understanding your metauser and market, you can identify exactly where you can add value.
#2: Build experiences
Product design should be based on user convenience. Stay focused on developing all features from the user's perspective, from the moment they come into contact with your product until the moment it meets their needs.
#3: Prioritize Resources
Make a complete list of all the features you would like to incorporate into your product. After that comes the hard part: prioritizing them based on what's most valuable to your first user. Categorizing by tags (high priority, medium priority and low priority) helps a lot.
#4 Time to act
Whether you develop your MVP in-house or work with an IT outsourcing company, remember that an MVP is not a lower-quality version of the final product – it still needs to meet the customer's needs. If the previous steps were carried out successfully, your first prototype should be easy to use and engaging.
Getting started with MVP development
Whether you have a prototype or not, our MVP teams will guide you to a starting point that serves as a clear visual reference point. If you want to turn your raw ideas into usable software that can be tested with real users, our Lean & Agile MVP development services are ideal for you.
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