How to Develop an MVP Following Agile Methodology
The MVP, or minimum viable product, is a development technique in which a new product or website is created with the bare minimum of features required to satisfy early adopters. The MVP is often used in conjunction with the agile methodology, which emphasizes speed and flexibility in software development.
Creating an MVP can help startup companies save time and money by avoiding the development of features that may never be used. It also allows them to get feedback from users early on in the development process, which can help guide future development.
The MVP should not be confused with a prototype, which is a preliminary version of a product that is intended to test a concept or process. A prototype is often more fully-featured than an MVP and is not necessarily intended for use by actual users.
When developing an MVP, it is important to focus on the core features of the product that are most essential to its success. Everything else can be added later as the product evolves. For example, a social networking MVP might initially just allow users to sign up and view profiles. Features such as messaging and photo sharing could be added later as the MVP gains users and feedback.
The agile methodology is well-suited to MVP development because it allows for rapid iteration and change. Agile developers work in short cycles or sprints, and constantly assess what is working and what isn’t. This allows them to quickly make changes and add features based on user feedback.
Here is what this process looks like in detail:
step 1: Define the problem you are solving.
The first step in developing an MVP is to identify the problem that you are trying to solve. This will help you determine what features need to be included in the MVP. For example, if you are developing a social networking MVP, the problem might be that people have difficulty connecting with others who share their interests.
Step 2. Analyze the competition.
The next step is to research your competition. This will help you understand what features they are offering and how you can differentiate your MVP. For example, if you’re developing a social networking MVP, you might look at products like Facebook and Twitter.
Step 3: Define the essential characteristics.
Once you have identified the problem and researched the competition, you can start to define the core features of your MVP. These are the features that are essential to the success of your product. For example, if you’re developing a social networking MVP, some core features might be the ability to create and view profiles, search for other users, and add friends or followers.
Step 4. Build-Measure-Learn phase
After you have defined the core features of your MVP, it’s time to start building. This is where the agile methodology comes in. In agile development, work is done in short cycles, or sprints. At the end of each sprint, the product is assessed and changes are made based on user feedback.
This cycle of building, measuring, and learning continues until the MVP is ready for launch. By constantly assessing and changing the product, you can be sure that you are including only the features that are most essential to your users.
Step 5. Launch!
Once your MVP is ready, it’s time to launch! This is where user feedback will be invaluable. Pay close attention to how users interact with your MVP and make changes accordingly.
Launching an MVP is just the first step in product development. After launching, you can continue to add features and improve the product based on user feedback. With an MVP, you can be sure that you are building a product that your users will love.
Top mistakes to avoid when developing MVP
When developing an MVP, there are a few common mistakes that can be made. Avoiding these mistakes will help ensure that your MVP is successful.
1. Having a large target audience is important.
When developing an MVP, it is important to focus on a specific target audience. Trying to appeal to a large, general audience will make it difficult to determine what features to include in your MVP. It is better to focus on a smaller group of users and build from there.
2. Postponing the initial release of the basic version in the hands of users
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when developing MVP is to postpone launch. It can be tempting to wait until the MVP is perfect before launching, but this is a mistake. The whole point of MVP is to get feedback from users and iterate based on that feedback. If you wait too long to launch, you will miss out on valuable feedback.
3. Thinking that UX isn’t essential to an MVP
Another common mistake is to think that user experience (UX) is not important in MVP. This is not the case! In fact, UX is one of the most important aspects of MVP. A good MVP should be easy to use and understand. If your MVP is difficult to use, users will likely give up on it and you will miss out on valuable feedback.
4. Including numerous elements in your first edition
One of the most common MVP mistakes is including too many features in the first version. Remember, MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product. This means that your MVP should only include the most essential features. Adding too many features will make it difficult to get feedback on what is actually working and what needs to be improved.
5. Not learning from your MVP can be a costly mistake.
The final mistake to avoid is not learning from your MVP. After launching MVP, it is important to pay attention to user feedback and make changes accordingly. MVP is just the first step in product development. By constantly learning and improving, you can be sure that your product will be a success.
If you are looking to develop an MVP for your product, we can help! Our team of experienced developers can create a custom MVP that is tailored to your specific needs. Contact MVP Developer today to get started!