Why You Should Start with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

When building software, it can often be tempting to aim high and try to release a big, impressive new application with all the bells and whistles your user base could want. However, while that kind of approach may lead to success with material products, in the fast-paced, rapidly iterative world of software it’s almost always better to release an MVP, or minimum viable product.

Why? Releasing an MVP allows you to test your product concept with reduced expenses, a streamlined timeline, and with the ability to quickly course-correct, iterate, and otherwise improve on your product based on initial user feedback.

Here are three reasons why starting with an MVP is important when building software:

1. It helps to validate the product idea: By launching an MVP, you can test your product idea with a small group of early adopters and gather valuable feedback. This can help you to validate your assumptions about the product and identify any potential issues before investing more significant time and resources into the project. Instead of having a long cycle of R&D followed by a release, your initial release becomes an R&D phase for the next iteration of your product.
2. It allows you to focus on the most important features: Building an MVP allows you to focus on the core features that are most important to your customers. This gives your product a strong, cohesive identity, and can help you to avoid building unnecessary features that may distract from the core value of the product.
3. It reduces risk: Building an MVP allows you to test your product idea with a small group of users before investing more significant time and resources into the project. This reduces the risk of building a product that does not meet the needs of your customers.

Are there exceptions? There are. Notably, if you are releasing an iOS/Android app, it's often worth considering launching with a more feature-rich product due to how impactful bad reviews can be in the early days of a product launch.

In most cases, however, we recommend starting with an MVP for your software development project. This approach allows you to validate your product idea, focus on the most important features, reduce risk, and optimize resources. By starting with an MVP, you can ensure that you are building the right product for your customers and can make informed decisions about future product development.