Embracing the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Mindset in Software Development
The idea of, “you can have a little bit now, or everything never” can be a hard truth to swallow in software development. It is a critical concept to understand when it comes to keeping product development fast-paced, agile, and profitable, though.
One of the biggest temptations when building software is to code every idea ever brought up in the boardroom, before the first external user ever experiences the product. There are many inherent dangers to taking this approach.
The Dangers of Aiming for Perfection Before Launching Software
Waiting to launch software until it is “perfect” is a recipe for stagnation and lost revenue. Perfection is rarely, if ever, realized. So, if you wait until the product is perfect, there’s a chance you will never launch your software at all because:
- The software will likely have bugs.
- The vision of a perfect product will look different to each stakeholder.
- Users will not have had the opportunity to inform decisions about features and functionality, leaving them dissatisfied.
What is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in Software Development?
A minimum viable product is a product built with the minimum set of features required to validate a product idea. The idea is to launch a working product that meets some of your users’ needs so that they will want to use it. Then, use their feedback to validate and improve the product as more features are added.
However tempting, it is important not to try to anticipate all possible needs with the first product launch. It is impossible to anticipate every need or want your user will have. And some of those wants may be bad ideas. Therefore, the best long-term plan for building software is to narrow down and build a few features right, then get your users’ input to validate those features before investing in further development. This agile approach will save you time, money, frustration, and result in a more successful product.
Addressing Common Concerns and Misconceptions About MVP Software Development
Common oppositions to MVP software development revolve around user satisfaction. The good news is that minimum viable product software increases user satisfaction.
We’ll answer common concerns and misconceptions about MVP software below.
1. Why launch a product with only a few features?
Developing software is an investment, with costs increasing as the number of features and level of complexity increases. Imagine launching your software after investing significant time and resources only to learn that your users are dissatisfied with one or more of the application’s key features.
MVP software development incorporates “soft launches”, if you will, at strategic points, giving users a chance to provide feedback early and often. Developers then have the opportunity to fix bugs and improve the product based on the wants and needs of users/stakeholders before time and money are wasted building onto ill-conceived or unwanted features.
2. Users will not want to use an incomplete product.
If your product does what your user wants better than other solutions/options, they will use it. The fact is, users would rather have four rock-solid features than thirty features that are hard to use, or that they don’t have any interest in using. (There’s nothing worse than using a cluttered program where you need to find 1 tool out of 500.) The key is communicating with your users so they know what to expect from your application now, what features you will be adding and when, and then delivering on your promises.
3. I want to reach ten million users tomorrow.
Launching a minimum viable product doesn’t have to slow down your sales cycle. In fact, it might speed it up.
By focusing on quickly and strategically building out a key set of features, you will have a launch-ready product in a fraction of the time. Users are sure to be delighted because user testing is baked into the process, and they will be anxious for your next update to be released. An added bonus is that MVP software development is typically less expensive and reduces overall production time.
Learning from Industry Experts: Product Development Insights from Eric Ries
Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, said in a talk at Google, “…the biggest waste that product development faces today is not building things inefficiently, but building things very efficiently that nobody wants.” It is a lot easier to stomach a company failing $20,000 into development rather than $2,000,000 by finding out that the target audience you thought would be interested in your product actually doesn’t think your product fulfills a need for them.
Even if there was market research done before development started, by the time you finish a $2,000,000 software project, the market could have shifted or your competitor could have seized your planned opportunities. By building the right things at the right time, your resources won’t be wasted but rather optimized. This is especially important for startups.
Establishing a Feedback Loop for Continuous Software Improvement
Once your MVP is launched, it’s important to set up a pipeline to gather and address feedback as you move into the next stage of development. An effective feedback loop will:
- Define what you are trying to learn.
- Plan how you will facilitate getting feedback.
- Put a process in place for acting on the feedback.
Building Software for the Future: Iterative Development and Sustained Growth
User feedback should be the foundation for each iteration of your product to ensure you keep building the right things at the right time throughout your software’s entire lifecycle.
Features that didn’t make the cut for MVP can be built immediately after the last MVP feature is completed. The intention is not to limit the product, but to develop features iteratively so that the product can be sustained. A defined MVP will cost less, launch sooner, and meet your users’ needs more effectively.
