MVP is probably the most frequently use word in the world of app development. It is an acronym for a minimum viable product. If you are new to the world of mobile app development, then you should get used to this term. The minimum viable product helps to validate your product ideas and decide whether they will pan out the way you want them to. It also gives a direction to your app or project by highlighting what features and aspects would fascinate the audience and what may fail. So, in a discrete way, it will paint a picture of either the success or failure of your app idea. Based on these results and findings, businesses can make amends to their apps and perfect the app development process to avoid any surprises.
In this article, we focus on all the nitty gritties of MVP in app development. It will lay out the basic foundation and guide you on how to build an MVP.
What is an MVP?
A basic or minimal form of your app or product is an MVP which is test on a limited number of users. A small chunk of the market tests the product to validate or invalidate your product assumptions. The reaction of the audience in response to your MVP speaks a lot about their experience and your product’s core functionality. This approach of testing a product before it is release in the market is quite practical and sensible because it tends to satisfy your business objective and project goals.
When we talk about MVP in mobile app development, we are essentially talking about developing core functionalities of a product to address customer needs or problems. It is usually target at early adopters who will use it and provide their reviews. It is a basic version of your app. MVP usually leverages the build-measure-learn approach to validate the app idea before the final product is float in the market to serve the customers.
Why Do Developers Build an MVP?
There are certain goals and objectives for building an MVP. These include:
- To assess the immediate value of a product under development at a lower cost.
- Understanding your customer’s needs and reactions before formally entering their markets.
- Testing your product or service assumptions.
- To set a stage for future iterations and development of the product without any hindrance.
- To demonstrate business potential and win or earn stakeholder buy-in. since it proves the merits of your project/app/product, it is helpful in strengthening your position.
- To gauge customer feedback before commercializing the products, which will identify the potential weakness and shortcomings (bugs and technical glitches) in the app.
What are the Characteristics of an MVP?
An MVP must qualify on the following merits or characteristics to earn the status of an MVP:
MVPs are adaptable, resourceful, and, as this issue of Monitor demonstrates, not only found in sports. MVPs exist in every aspect of life. In the civil rights movement, my vote for MVP would be Martin Luther King Jr.
When King wrote his speech for the March on Washington in 1963, the words “I have a dream” were not include. He was delivering the speech in front of 200,000 people when legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson called out, “Tell them about the dream, Martin.” She had heard King speak before, and she wanted him to include the story.
- It should have all the core features or functionalities of the main app because only then a customer would be able to judge the idea completely. It may be a basic version of your app, but it should have all the functionalities for users to test and validate.
- An MVP should have value and must provide to the end users. You could convert early adopters into loyal returning customers if you deliver on the value even in the most basic and early version of your app.
- In the end, your MVP should be cost-effective, which means you must spend very few resources, time, and budget on it since it is only mean for an idea or app validation.
What are the Basic Steps or Stages of Building an MVP?
- A standard process of building a software-based MVP has the following steps/stages:
- Identifying the problem or pain point
- Identifying the target audience or end-user
- Determining the core features and functionalities of the app
- Developing/designing the MVP
- Launching it to the early adopters for test and validation
- Reiterating and improving using the customer feedback
Developing an MVP is an iterative process because nobody can guarantee perfection in one go. It takes time to determine and amend product functionality to address pain points. In a nutshell, an MVP is a validation tool for testing and validating your ideas and identifying if they will work for your targeted audience. Want more about MVP? Do visit us for a complete Guide.