MVP 101: What Features to Cut for Your First Launch
Being a founder, you probably possess a grand vision for your revolutionary app. However, most successful apps didn’t achieve their status overnight but went through numerous iterations and feature slimming. This occurred to achieve what is essentially called a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). So what is an MVP and which features should be cut for your app’s initial launch? Let’s unravel this.
What is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?
An MVP is the most simplified version of your app that still features enough functionality and value to attract early adopters. It embodies your core idea and forms the foundation on which to build future additions. An MVP is not necessarily the ‘end-all’ version of your app but provides essential insights into market acceptance, allowing learning, development and customer engagement.
In words of Eric Ries, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and pioneer of the Lean Startup methodology, “Minimum Viable Product is that version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learnings about customers with the least effort.”
Benefits of MVP
- Risk Mitigation: It allows you to test your app in the market and collect feedback before investing heavily in the full feature set.
- Fast Market Entry: Creating an MVP significantly reduces development time and helps you launch faster.
- Cost Savings: MVP is less expensive to build and allows for financial resource allocation to other critical areas such as marketing.
- User Validation: Understanding your target user’s interaction with your app helps in making informed decisions about feature prioritization or pivoting.
What Features to Cut
Narrowing the focus to the bare essentials is pivotal to shaping an effective MVP. Here are key considerations when deciding what features to cut for your first launch:
1. Unique Value Proposition (UVP)
The essential feature of your app should be its UVP – the unique value it offers that differentiates it from competitors. The UVP addresses the core problem you’re solving for your target audience. For instance, when Uber launched, their UVP was “Tap a button, get a cab.” Other advanced features came later.
2. Start from the Goal
Always start with the end in mind. Revisit your app’s ultimate goal and then trim those features that do not contribute directly towards it. This might include social sharing buttons or AI-based recommendations for an MVP.
3. Redundant Features
Redundancies can make your app bulky and distract your users from the primary function. Cut away any feature that doesn’t support the core functionality or isn’t unique to your app. For example, in a food delivery app, a blog section about health tips could be redundant.
4. Complicated Features
Complex features not only elongate the development process but also stand a chance to confuse your users. You want your users to easily navigate and perform the main function on your app. Consider taking off those features on your MVP that struggle to maintain simplicity.
5. Evaluating User Preferences
Take customer feedback seriously, and be ready to pivot or reprioritize features accordingly. Soft-launching prototypes to a selected group of users and collecting feedback can provide valuable insights into what features are mandatory, nice-to-have, or unnecessary.
6. Multiple Platforms
Starting with both iOS and Android simultaneously might spread your resources thin. Identify which platform your target audience primarily uses and launch on that first.
Final Thoughts
Building an MVP is about validation, learning, and building a solid foundation for your app. Remember, MVP is not about launching a half-baked product; it’s about smartly minimizing the feature set to one that offers a seamless user experience centered around your app’s core functionality and nothing more.
We hope this guide assists you with your MVP journey and propels you towards a successful app launch. Here’s to transforming your vision into reality, one feature at a time!