Building An MVP For Startups: There are some common misconceptions about MVP. MVP is the Minimum Viable Product of your startup. It is not the final product but rather the first version you are launching for your startup.
If you are an early-stage founder, there are four key things you need to remember. These can be considered pre-launch startup goals:
- Launch the MVP quickly.
- Get initial customers.
- Talk to customers and get feedback.
- Iterate and improve the product.
After launching a product, your first move should be gathering feedback. While talking to customers and collecting their feedback about the product, they will see it evolve and start liking the improvements. Some customers may even want to pay for the product.
You can learn ten times more by talking to your customers than just discussing ideas with your co-founder. Don’t worry about losing these early customers; instead, promise them that if they continue providing feedback, you will strive to improve the product for them.
One of the biggest fears is that the first customers might not like the product. It’s a mistake to spend one year building your MVP only to find out that the first few customers dislike it.
On the other hand, some founders think, “I know my product is great, so why build a simple version of it?” These people are the “Fake Steve Jobs.” They may think, “Steve Jobs released the iPhone, so I should do the same.” But what they don’t realize is that the iPhone was released without an App Store, the first iPhone only had 2G (not 3G), and even Steve Jobs iterated and improved his products over time.
3 Simple Points for Software MVP:
- Very fast to build (weeks, not even months).
- Very limited functionality.
- Appeal to a small set of users.
These founders realized they just needed to build something that a small number of people loved.
The first version of Airbnb:
- No payment system.
- No map view.
- You had to use an airbed.
- Only targeted conference attendees.
- You couldn’t even rent out the whole house.
The first version of Twitch (originally Justin.tv):
- Only 1 channel (Justin himself).
- Low-resolution video.
- No video games.
- Extremely expensive streaming costs.
Learning from customers is easier with an MVP.
You don’t start with all the answers. An MVP is the fastest way to start learning.
Steps to Build an MVP Quickly:
- Time-box your spec.
Give yourself a specific time deadline—maybe 2 weeks or 1 month. It’s better to set a time limit than to work with no deadline. - Write your spec features.
List the features you’d like to include in your project. - Cut that spec.
After writing everything down, ask yourself: Do desperate customers truly need these features? You’ll be surprised by how many features can be left for the second, third, or fourth version of your product. Just get the basics out first. - Don’t fall in love with your MVP.
Fall in love with your customers, but not with a crappy, initial product. Remember, it’s just the starting phase, and the product will change over time.
Final Thoughts for building an mvp for startups
Try to build your MVP quickly and have faith in the process.
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