Advantages of using the MVP approach for software development

Kristina Verlin
Skillwell
Published in
3 min readOct 30, 2023

The main goal of any startup developing a fully functional product is to provide users with a solution to their problem. Therefore, it should be determined at an early stage of development whether the target audience needs this new product. How to check it? One way is to check the idea using the concept of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) during development.

What is MVP

MVP or minimum viable product — is a product that has limited functionality, but it is enough for consumers to start using it. With the help of the MVP version of the product, real user feedback is collected. Based on this feedback, the entrepreneur understands the viability and relevance of his idea.

The core concept of an MVP is to develop a functional product that can be offered to customers, and then observe their reactions and improve the product based on their preferences. Thus, MVP allows you to reduce the time and effort for testing an idea before developing a full-fledged product.

After studying the feedback collected during the release of the MVP, the developers are engaged in finalizing successful features, re-testing, and, in case of a positive response from the audience, proceeding to create a full-fledged product and release it to the market.

The minimum viable product allows you to:

Test the idea based on real data and prove its viability

MVP development allows businesses to test their ideas in the market without investing significant resources upfront. By launching an MVP, businesses can gather feedback from early adopters and validate the demand for their product. This feedback can help businesses refine their product and ensure that it meets the needs of their target market.

Reduce development costs by eliminating unnecessary features

MVP development helps businesses to reduce development costs significantly. By building a minimal version of their product, businesses can avoid investing resources in features that may not be necessary or may not be well received by their target market. This approach can help businesses save money while still launching a product that meets the needs of their customers.

Faster time to market

MVP development helps businesses to launch their product quickly. Instead of spending months or even years building a full-fledged product, businesses can launch an MVP in a matter of weeks. This approach helps businesses get their product to market faster, enabling them to capture market share and establish a competitive advantage.

Attract investors to the project

By launching an MVP, businesses can provide tangible evidence to investors that their product has the potential to succeed in the market. This evidence can be used to secure additional funding, enabling businesses to continue developing and improving their product. It also demonstrates that the product has the potential to generate revenue and a return on investment for investors.

Iterative Improvement

MVP development is an iterative process. Once an MVP is launched, businesses can gather feedback and use this feedback to make improvements to their product. By launching new versions of the product, businesses can continuously improve and refine the product until it meets the needs of the customers. This iterative approach can help businesses create a product that is highly desirable to their target market.

In conclusion, MVP development is an important process for businesses looking to launch new products. The main goal for MVP is to shorten the time for testing the idea before the start of the development of a full-fledged product.

MVP enables businesses to validate market demand, launch their product faster, reduce development costs, gain better customer insights, and continuously improve their product. By embracing the concept of MVP, businesses can increase their chances of success and establish a competitive advantage in their market.

--

--

Kristina Verlin
Skillwell
Editor for

Business Development Manager at Skillwell | Exploring SaaS potential, cloud benefits, and the power of design in business.