How To Develop a Minimum Viable Product

Introduction

The term “minimum viable product” has become something of a buzzword term in business. Regardless, many people are not sure exactly what it means. They may know that a minimum viable product is an excellent place to start when developing a product. Also, they may know that the goal is to create something they can begin testing out with users. However, what does a minimum viable product look like?

What We Have Learned From Making a Minimum Viable Product

At Grata, we’re often asked to develop minimum viable software products, and we learn a few things from the process. Here they are, in brief:

Features Relevant to the Core Value of the Final Project

– The minimum viable product should include the features you consider to be the core value of the final product. This first test product is a way to determine whether or not the core value proposition of the product is correct. Will people like it? Are they going to use it often? Will they pay for it? Sometimes you may learn that what people like most about the product is something you consider secondary or won’t pay as much as you thought they would.

Test Your Assumptions

– The MVP gets your product in the hands of users as quickly as possible to that you can begin testing your assumptions. Make sure you know what you want to test with this MVP and how you will test it. Collect feedback, and ask for honest feedback you may not want to hear. We can all get attachments to our favorite ideas, but you are creating this product for the consumer. You want to ensure that as development continues and when you release the final product, you tailor it for that market.

Solve Problems

– Consider all the oppositions people have and consider ways to solve them. Propose solutions to people and see how they react. Listen to their reactions, but also know that the real solution to the problem may be something they would never think of themselves- something that your knowledge of software development or your industry will make clear to you. Be creative in finding solutions to these problems- see how others have solved them and whether or not that worked for them. How can you improve on what someone else did before?

Conclusion

In the end, the minimum viable product is a starting point. A way to test out a product with the audience it was developed for, get feedback, make changes, and iterate. The model allows a company to work targeted research into the development process. As well as stop and ask questions that will lead to a better product with a more substantial market fit.

If you have an idea for a minimum viable product and want a partner who understands development’s business and technical sides, consider contacting Grata. We know what questions to ask and want to understand your business as we scope out a software project. Building the right software for your audience can put your company at an advantage over the competition and help your company grow and scale faster and more efficiently. We want to help.

Contact us today to start the development process for your minimum viable product, where we’ll help you every step of the way.

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Rey Ortega
Rey Ortega

I'm a passionate creator of technologies for businesses. After years of leading software teams & delivering products to market, I founded Grata Software, a software consultancy, that helps businesses innovate and build disruptive products on cloud platforms. At Grata, I am the CEO & Head Solutions Architect.