The rationales behind engineering an MVP app are straightforward. They include maximizing the chances of eventual success, while simultaneously minimizing the costly consequences of potential failures within a dynamic market environment. Never underestimate the risks of the latter. In today's IT landscape, successfull outcomes are an exception, rather than a firm rule. Take a look at these statistics from the Standish Group as a reference point: 31+% of all IT initiatives are terminated before ever achieving completion. Almost 53% of them exceed their budgets and anticipated timeframes, “owing” to expensive reworks. Only around 16% of projects are accomplished in a “just as planned” way, within budgets and deadlines. Even more pessimistic estimates are present. 75% of IT decision-makers believe that their IT endeavors are doomed from the very start. {{ "title": "Write ChilliCode", "description": "To help you acknowledge your business needs and decide whether IT services will work for you, I’ve sorted out a list of cases.", "buttonText": "Contact us" }} We, as experts in MVP app development, confirm this data. So before putting all your money on developing a perfect app, try an MVP, or a Mininum Viable Product, first. Whether you want to launch an MVP healthcare app initiative in the heavily regulated field of contemporary medicine or, let's say, to work on a less regulated MVP iOS fitness, wellness, or mindfulness app, this guide will be helpful. After all, a properly envisioned and constructed MVP app aims to address all risks by increasing the likelihood of success through resource-effective engineering and hypothesis testing. Even if your concept proves to be flawed, the goal is to salvage as many assets as possible. For better or worse, this is how IT industry operates in 2024. Reasons for Creating an MVP App Any MVP app development initiative, viewed as efforts spent on releasing a “minimum viable product,” seeks to attain two self-evident goals: One engineers a software solution with core functionalities. While limited to a possible minimum, those functionalities must suffice to tackle a real-world pain point that is experienced by end-users. This is the business philosophy behind all MVPs. Firstly, a solution has to be delivered swiftly and cost-effectively. Secondly, its mission is to verify whether a pain point really exists and whether your digital product can resolve it; If this early version happens to be accepted by early users, one obtains their feedback and keeps enhancing the app on this base with said feedback in mind. The motives are trivial, yet understandable. The concept of “minimum viable products” has been around for almost 25 years now. Three factors are at play here: First and foremost, as a developer, you must be aware that the IT market, and its mobile segment, in particular, is an area of cut-throat competition. As of now, there are as many as 2.5 million apps accessible via Google Store. When it comes to the Apple ecosystem, your MVP has to deal with 1.65 million rivals; Furthermore, a typical mobile app does not make it through the race. The percentage of apps opened only once after the download has been steadily fluctuating between 20% and 25% for years; Finally, even if an app is lucky enough to get activated for the second time, there are no guarantees. On average, a mobile app typically sees a drop of approximately 77% in its DAUs within just three days of being installed. Wrapping up: There are many competitors to face, and the modern end-user is a demanding person. Under these circumstances, the only way to survive is the MVP approach, i.e. the trial-and-error method. You constantly try new unexplored ways to get the target audience hooked. If you achieve this goal, you win. Despite the challenges mentioned above, the mobile technology landscape offers significant opportunities. Let’s look at a couple of figures that support this claim: In recent years, there has been a significant surge in mobile app downloads, reaching a staggering 255 billion annual downloads as of 2022. This influx of customers has prompted businesses and marketers to enter this highly lucrative industry, capitalizing on the growing demand for app content. They keep on pouring money and think of no risks; Back in 2023, consumer expenditures on mobile apps reached a total of $171 billion, showing an increase from the $167 billion spent in 2022. Basics of a Minimum Viable Product from an MVP Development Company Quite paradoxically, this is the main dilemma. Namely, one should ask themselves not “How to build an MVP app.” The flow is more or less self-evident. Rather, one should ask “for whom?”. Consider who will utilize the product in their everyday endeavors: How do they navigate their lives, and what hindrances do they encounter?; Do their routines include habits or inclinations that might impede their utilization of your product's full potential?; What is the demographic in terms of gender, age, income, affiliations, and desires? Thoroughly researching your target audience is essential to ensure your app effectively meets expectations, be they expressed or implicit. Unfortunately, we all must admit: the era of generic apps, catering to broader consumer groups, has passed. Nowadays, success lies in targeting distinct market segments, and in tailoring the digital product to the fullest extent possible. Our key idea, as an MVP development company, is as follows: kick off the project by “constructing” a customer persona profile. Envision a fictional representation of your ideal end-user. Aim to include a comprehensive range of unique data points within it: Attested pain points; Conditions under which the pain point makes itself be felt; The personal and professional background of those affected; Narrower lifestyle details; How do they perceive themselves; How are they perceived by their social surroundings; Their aspirations; Their fears, concerns, and anxieties; Their typical daily regimen. Remember, if you are about to start investing funds and efforts into an app, be sure to have a persona on your mind. Without this “portrait,” no hints concerning MVPs in app development domains will help. MVP, POC, or Prototype: What's the Difference? The terms MVP (Minimum Viable Product), POC (Proof of Concept), and Prototype are often used in the context of app development, but they serve different purposes and are used at different stages of development. You should grasp their differences when developing an app. Here's a breakdown of each: MVP (Minimum Viable Product) Purpose: To launch a product with the minimum set of features necessary to satisfy early adopters and gather user feedback. Stage: After the prototype has been tested and refined, but before the product is fully developed. Focus: Prioritizes core functionalities that address the main problem or need the product aims to solve. It should be usable and provide real value to users. Audience: Early adopters and initial customers in the target market. Outcome: Validates the product concept in the real market, gathers user feedback, and provides insights for further development and iterations. POC (Proof of Concept) Purpose: To validate that a concept or idea is feasible and can be achieved. Stage: Early in the development process, usually before significant resources are allocated. Focus: Demonstrates the technical feasibility of a particular approach or solution. Audience: Typically internal stakeholders or technical team members. Outcome: Provides evidence that the idea can work in practice, supporting decisions to move forward with more detailed development. Prototype Purpose: To create a preliminary version of the product to explore ideas and gather feedback. Stage: After a POC has shown feasibility, but before developing the full product. Focus: Focuses on design, user experience, and functionality. It may not have complete functionality but should convey the look, feel, and flow of the final product. Audience: Can be shown to internal teams, stakeholders, and sometimes select users or clients for feedback. Outcome: Helps refine ideas, identify potential issues, and improve the design and user experience before full-scale development. In a Nutshell POC: Validates technical feasibility. Prototype: Tests design and user experience. MVP: Delivers a functional product with core features to early users for feedback and validation. Understanding these distinctions helps teams allocate resources effectively and progress through the development process systematically, ensuring that each stage builds on the success and insights of the previous one. Obstacles to Mobile MVP Development Initiatives Make sure you avoid these common mobile app development MVP pitfalls: Creating a top-notch mobile app isn't just about a fancy and potent key feature. This potential must be accompanied by simplicity. End-users, doing things on the go, in the mobile-first environment, crave convenience and intuitivity. Prioritize easy navigation and quick access to content; Strike the perfect balance with UI/UX app elements. Too many can overwhelm and disorient, while too few may leave users wanting more; Ditch anything that doesn't add immediate value; Choose your platform wisely. A wider platform reach can boost your end-user base significantly; Back your app with a robust backend part for stability. Scalability and cloud technologies are vital for handling traffic influxes; Marketing is key to success. Create buzz on social media and gather feedback from friends to refine your app. Meet end-user expectations to maintain your app's reputation, Until you get this done, nothing will help your project; Listen to feedback rigorously. Addressing end-user concerns promptly not only boosts sales but also enhances your company's reputation and expands your end-user base. Even when those guys are rude, keep on listening and observing what they say. Speaking of feedback, as we have already stressed, the opinions and reactions of early users are the reasons why people rely on this MVP concept. How to collect and measure all that stuff? As a team of MVP developers, we would suggest these metrics for assessing your MVP's performance: Word of mouth. Yes, it is hard to categorize the sentiment, yet follow what people share. Percentage of active end-users after one day, one week, and one month Engagement levels - time spent in the app and amounts of actions executed there. Eventual client acquisition cost Feedback expressed in rankings and ratings. Number of paying end-users Sign-up rates Client lifetime value (CLV) Churn rates Agile Culture and MVP Development Services. What Are the Iterations’ Purposes? Think about an interesting coincidence. What do the MVP-focused techniques, coupled with the capriciousness of the modern end-user, have to do with the prevalence of the Agile engineering culture? A simplified example of how AGILE looks like. The point is, Agile seeks not only to satisfy but to anticipate end-users’ caprices. Some current trends to consider regarding MVPs, iOS, Android: Agile methodology trends: 94% of software companies have dabbled down on Agile engineering. As indicated, 93% of Agile businesses reported superior customer satisfaction compared to non-agile counterparts. In a significant surge, Agile adoption skyrocketed from 37% to 86% among software industry teams in 2021 alone, marking a staggering 232% increase. Similarly, other research reveals that 93% of Agile companies boasted enhanced operational performance over their non-agile rivals. Agile practices, with their never-ending sprints of coding, QA, and feedback analysis, are the logical result of MVP-focused efforts. All our quick and sometimes tedious iterations, in a nutshell, are attempts to keep the end-user engaged, attracted, which means they are willing to pay for the app. Around 71% of end-users ditch an app within the first 90 days of grabbing it, as per Statista. Again, an average present-time client is in an ever-lasting hurry, lacking any concentration, and having neither time, resources, nor desire to immerse in your app, unless hooked. Let's peek into the user's mindset to understand why they hit the uninstall button (at least, what we could cite as an MVP app development company). These areas are to be considered at any Agile sprint. First impressions matter. A lengthy signup process is a prime suspect for app abandonment. Many bid farewell at this stage and this trend hasn't budged for ages. People seek apps that promise to streamline tasks, not add to their never-ending to-do lists; USPs. Your app needs a standout feature to make users choose it over others. Figure out what makes it special and highlight those benefits. Communicate the value clearly; Monetization-specific and ad-related problems. Ads are a double-edged sword. While they rake in revenue, they can also drive users away if not handled right. Place them adequately, limit the bombardment, and be picky about advertisers; Notification overload. Keep users in the loop but don't suffocate them with alerts. Let them opt out if they want. After all, you're here to solve problems, not create more; Privacy matters. Asking for too many permissions raises eyebrows. Keep it minimal to earn trust. Privacy policies are a must for your app's credibility; Feature overload. Complexity scares end-users off. Start simple and add features gradually. It keeps things manageable and shows users you value their input. In a nutshell, users bail on apps due to poor UX. Clarity and functionality are keys. Be transparent, intentional, and user-centric from the get-go to steer clear of these pitfalls. How to Build an MVP App: A Step-By-Step Guide From our standpoint, i.e. that of an MVP development company working in the USA, EU, and other advanced markets, creating a minimum viable product (MVP) involves several key steps: Prototype. Start with a rapid prototype translating planned features into tangible app screens. Design one or two essential features and define the user flow. Then, create wireframes and high-fidelity mockups, interconnecting them to mimic real-world usage; User tests. Verify your app concept with real users by enrolling them in user testing sessions. Gather subjective feedback and observe reactions to adjust the prototype accordingly. This step allows for fast pivoting without investing in development yet; Coding the MVP. Once the prototype passes the end-user testing phase, developers write code to flesh out the MVP. They ensure technical feasibility and choose a relevant tech stack for scalability and integration with third-party solutions; Test the MVP. Subject the MVP to QA ordeals, for functionality and stress, uncovering bugs and ensuring flawless performance. Testing should occur throughout the development process, after each iteration; Deploy the MVP. Make the MVP publicly available by moving it to a production environment and uploading mobile applications to app stores. Use analytics to measure user engagement and prioritize features for subsequent updates based on validated customer feedback. Tips to build an MVP app for my startup even more effectively Again, gather end-user feedback. Apply tools like Google Analytics, mobile analytics programs, and user review monitoring services to collect feedback tailored to your app's niche, whether it's healthcare, fintech, or anything else Stick to established technologies. Avoid using brand-new techniques to prevent scalability and compatibility issues down the line Polish. Treat your MVP as if it's a finished product ready for the App Store/Google Play. Adding core functionalities only does not mean one is free to bring about and release raw things. For instance, perfect your app description to entice users to download it Mind the monetization strategy. Develop a solid monetization strategy for your MVP, as commercial success is crucial for its overall success Target a niche market. Release your MVP to a small group of target end-users to increase traction before a broader launch Lean development principles. Hire a development team well-versed in lean startup methodologies like Scrum or Kanban to ensure faster delivery and catch issues early on Types of MVP Mobile App Development Having highlighted how to make things, we haven’t elaborated on what to make. That is, core functionalities sound clear. Yet, you might be surprised by the versatility of ways they can be presented. Let’s zoom in on some MVPs you might engineer: 1. Explainer video MVP. This involves creating a simple video “show” explaining your product or service to gauge interest and gather feedback before investing in development. So, this is not even about engineering, but about presenting things. However, be sure you are in the right position to deliver what you promise; 2. Single-feature MVP. This class focuses on building and releasing a product with only one core feature to test its viability and gather user feedback. For instance, you’re creating an agriculture app. Provide a single feature, weather tracking, and gather feedback from farmers; 2. Concierge MVPs offer a manual, personalized service to customers, mimicking the intended functionality of the final product. This helps validate demand and gather insights before automating processes; 4. Wizard of Oz MVPs resemble concierge MVPs but hide the manual work behind the scenes. Users interact with what appears to be an automated product, while in reality, it's manually operated by the team; 5. Piecemeal MVPs suggest using existing tools or platforms to cobble together a makeshift version of the product to test the market and gather feedback; 6. Landing page MVPs, also known as Single Page Apps are simple web presences, created to showcase the product and collect email, social media, or cell phone-based sign-ups from interested users. This helps gauge interest and validate the idea before investing in development. If you want to learn more about Single Page Apps, we have an entire piece dedicated to them; 7. Crowdfunding MVPs utilize applicable platforms to pitch the product idea and collect pre-orders or investments from potential customers. This not only validates the idea but also provides initial funding for engineering; 8. Prototype MVPs involve creating a basic, non-functional prototype of the product to visualize its design and functionality. This helps communicate the idea to stakeholders and gather initial feedback. Extra hints concerning coding With multiple successful MVP initiatives behind us, we gained some insights that have been helping us greatly ever since. Our team believes that these tricks can assist you, too, in purely coding and marketing terms: Explore revenue issues ASAP. Strategize monetization early to ensure your MVP is primed for revenue generation. Explore subscription of freemium models for sustained performance boosts. Be precise. Once again, strike the perfect balance with features. Each one should significantly contribute to value and boost ROI. Resist the urge to overload your product with unnecessary functionalities during development. Accelerate engineering by inventing no bicycles. Expedite your development process by harnessing the power of third-party tools and templates. Leverage SDKs, APIs, and libraries for swift implementation and efficiency gains. Methodology matters. Embrace Agile for MVP development, fostering adaptability and enhancing product-market fit. Steer clear of rigid fixed-price approaches that stifle flexibility. Strategic marketing allocations. Dedicate a portion of your budget to marketing endeavors. Even the most polished product requires strategic promotion in today's fiercely competitive market landscape. Integrations for insightful performance assessments matter. Seamlessly integrate analytics services into your MVP to monitor user engagement and evaluate post-launch performance. Harness data-driven insights to drive informed decisions and iterate seamlessly. Some Great Success Stories Dropbox started as a simple MVP — a short video demonstrating the concept of cloud storage and file synchronization opportunities. The video showcased how users could store and share data pieces across devices. Despite not having a fully functional product, Dropbox received over 70,000 sign-ups within 24 hours of releasing the “magnet”. This validated the demand for the product, and the rest is history. Airbnb's MVP was a simple website called "AirBed & Breakfast" that allowed hosts to rent out air mattresses in their living rooms to travelers. The founders created a very basic website with listings and a way to book accommodations. By testing this concept with a small group of users, they quickly validated the idea and iterated based on feedback. Today, Airbnb is a multi-billion dollar company with millions of listings worldwide. Instagram's MVP was a simple photo-sharing app with filters. The founders initially launched the app as "Burbn," which allowed users to check-in at locations and share photos. After analyzing user data and feedback, they realized that the photo-sharing feature was the most popular. They pivoted to focus solely on photo sharing, rebranded as Instagram, and quickly gained traction. Today, Instagram has around 2 billion monthly active users. Instagram, one of the world's most popular apps, was once an MVP. Uber's MVP was a simple app that allowed users to request a ride from nearby drivers. The founders launched the app in San Francisco with just a handful of drivers. By testing the concept in a small market and iterating based on user feedback, they were able to refine the product and scale it globally. Today, Uber operates in over 10,000 metropolitan areas worldwide. Established in 2008, Groupon emerged as a visibly “rudimentary” MVP platform, showcasing services from nearby businesses and presenting time-limited deals via a basic WordPress web presence. The idea was plain sailing: visitors seeking discounts would subscribe, and Groupon's team would dispatch PDF coupons accordingly. Rapidly, Groupon cultivated a substantial email subscriber base, facilitating customer interaction and gathering essential data to evolve into the comprehensive website it is today. Spotify was born out of a clear demand no one met properly, except for them. During the 2000s, music enthusiasts turned to pirated websites for downloading tunes. However, the era of lax regulations soon gave way to strict enforcement, resulting in the closure of many such sites. Amidst this crackdown, the co-founders of Spotify conceived the notion of providing a music streaming platform. They meticulously crafted a minimum viable product (MVP), subjecting it to trials amongst their inner circle before unveiling it to a wider audience. Presently, Spotify stands as a colossal entity in the realm of on-demand music, video, and podcast streaming, boasting a global presence with 601 million monthly users. How Much Would An MVP Cost? What Time Will It Take? By the way, how much would you have to invest? For sure, there are no one-size-fits-all recipes. We have already shown that apps can differ, working on different bases. At the same time, we can propose some vague estimates: The cost of an MVP can vary significantly, depending on complexity, capabilities, features, and locally-specific engineering rates. On average, however, it could range from $10,000 to $50,000; Typically, a small team consisting of a PM, a developer, a UI/UX designer, and a QA tester can handle an MVP engineering undertaking effectively. So, around 3-4 people must be onboarded or contracted. Developing an MVP usually takes about 3-6 months, but this can vary based on project scope and team efficiency. Our Best In-House Practices for MVP Development Start with a clear vision. Define your goals and objectives clearly before starting development. Understand the problem you're solving and who your target audience is; Focus on core features. Identify the essential features that address the core problem or need of your target users. Prioritize these features for development to create a minimum viable product; Keep it simple. Resist the urge to add unnecessary features. Keep the MVP simple and streamlined to expedite development and minimize costs; Iterate based on feedback. Release the MVP to real users early and gather feedback. Use this feedback to iterate and improve the product incrementally; Test early and often. Conduct thorough testing throughout the development process to identify and address issues early on. This includes functional testing, usability testing, and performance testing; Stay agile. Embrace agile development methodologies to maintain flexibility and adaptability throughout the project. Break down the development process into smaller iterations or sprints for faster delivery and continuous improvement; Measure success metrics. Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of your MVP. Monitor these metrics post-launch to assess user engagement, satisfaction, and retention; Maintain scalability. Design your MVP with scalability in mind to accommodate future growth and expansion. Choose technologies and architectures that can easily scale as your user base and feature set grow; Prioritize security and compliance. Ensure that your MVP adheres to security best practices and regulatory requirements. Protect user data and privacy to build trust and credibility with your audience; Monetization plan. Consider your monetization strategy early in the development process. Explore different revenue streams such as subscriptions, in-app purchases, or advertising, and integrate them seamlessly into your MVP. sub To Sum Up Releasing an MVP app in 2024 is a rule, rather than an exception. Examples of successful apps that grew out of MVPs prove this approach works. In time, a quick response to feedback and a well-thought-out marketing campaign will turn an MVP into a functional app enjoyed by thousands of users. Here at CHILLICODE, we’ve encountered MVP development many times, so contact us if you want to launch your own app.
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