How To Build An MVP For App Development (With 8 Examples Of Popular MVPs)

Picture this: You've just finished designing the perfect mobile app on paper. And you're excited to start building it. But you're unsure how to move past the initial concept and stressed about what comes next. Sound familiar? You’re not alone if you’re in the early stages of developing a mobile app. Many app creators have been where you are. You’ll want to look into building a minimum viable product (MVP) for your app. This MVP will allow you to get your app idea, test its core functionality, and prepare for future iterations. For your next steps, this blog will offer valuable insights about MVP app development to help you achieve your goals, such as learning how to build an MVP for app development for app design agencies.

One effective way to approach MVP development is through product design. NUMI's product design services can help you streamline MVP development so that you can focus on testing your app's core features to prepare for the next phase of growth.

What is an MVP?

A Minimum Viable Product, or MVP, is the most basic version of a product that can be released to users. An MVP has just enough core features to attract an early-adopter customer base that can then provide valuable feedback for future product development. An MVP doesn’t eliminate the need for thorough testing, but it does help get you past the “what if” phase of growth and into the real world. 

The reported goal of the MVP is to accelerate learning in the early stages of product development with minimal investment of money and resources. However, the concept of an MVP can also be applied to existing products to understand if a new feature set is valuable to customers. 

Creating an MVP to Validate Your Idea and Drive Informed Decision-Making

An MVP typically asks, “What is the cheapest and fastest way we can start learning?” Creating an MVP allows companies to determine whether a product has the potential to succeed quickly. This will enable them to decide when to persevere and abandon an idea. 

The word minimum is essential. You need to deliver enough value that early customers want to use the product, can imagine what will be possible, and provide helpful feedback for future product development. 

Types of MVPs: What are the Options? 

MVPs can take different forms depending on the product and the business’s goals. 

Here are a few of the most common MVPs: 

• Single-feature MVP: As the name implies, a single-feature MVP only has the main feature of your product, and it’s one of the most common MVP types out there. 
• Pre-order MVP: a pre-order MVP is when you take pre-orders and crowdfund to generate a buzz before you build your product 
• Concierge MVP: a concierge MVP looks and acts just like a regular app, but the back-end is run manually by humans 
• Fake door MVP: fake door MVPs are usually landing pages built to gauge market interest before building an MVP or prototype 

Building an MVP is the best way to ensure your idea will succeed in your target market.

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Benefits Of MVP For App Development

Speed to Market: Get Your App to Users Quickly 

Today’s digital environment moves quickly, and an MVP approach helps you stay ahead of the pack. An MVP focuses on essential features, allowing you to launch your app sooner. Getting your app into users’ hands lets you: 

• Build a presence
• Engage with early adopters
• Gather feedback before your competitors even make it to the starting line. 

Cost Savings: Trim the Fat, Focus on What Matters 

An MVP approach helps you avoid unnecessary spending by focusing on core features and eliminating the extras that can bloat the budget.  This lean approach ensures you’re making the most of every dollar, leaving room to scale and refine your app later. 

Validation: Test Your App Idea Before Committing 

How do you know your app idea is solid? An MVP gives you a practical way to test it. Launching a simplified version lets you see how your target audience reacts and gauge demand. If the response is positive, you’ll know you’re onto something. If not, you can tweak your concept without the regret of a significant financial loss. 

Early User Feedback: Let Real Users Shape Your App 

Once your app is live, users will tell you what works, what doesn’t, and what they’d love to see next. This feedback loop helps you refine your app, ensuring it’s tailored to user needs and on its way to achieving the coveted product-market fit. 

Reduced Risk of Wasted Resources: Avoid Spending on Unwanted Features 

Developing a fully-fledged app only to discover that users don’t need half its features is a nightmare. MVP development minimizes this risk. By testing your core concept first, you can identify what’s worth investing in and what isn’t. This approach helps you allocate resources wisely, focusing on features that truly add value. 

Boosting Brand Awareness: Create Buzz Early On 

An MVP validates your idea and builds buzz. By putting your app in users’ hands early, you create opportunities to: 

• Generate interest
• Establish an online presence
• Foster brand loyalty

Engaged early adopters often become your most passionate advocates. 

Attracting Investors: Show Potential with a Working Product 

A working MVP is a powerful pitch tool. It’s not just a concept—it’s proof that your idea has legs. Investors are far more likely to fund a business with a tangible product that addresses real-world needs. Your MVP demonstrates potential, scalability, and market readiness, key factors in securing financial backing. 

Agility and Scalability: Launch and Adapt to Real-World Needs 

Launching with an MVP keeps you flexible. You can adapt to user feedback, market trends, and competitive shifts without the burden of undoing massive development work. This iterative approach ensures your app evolves in alignment with real-world demands, making it more scalable and sustainable. 

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NUMI helps with: 

• Product design
• Web design
• Framer development
• Webflow development
• Mobile design
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• All of your startup's design needs! 

Subscribe to a guild of world-class designers ready to embed on your team today. Schedule a call with us today to learn more!

How To Build An MVP For App Development

Researching Your Market Is Key To Building a Successful MVP

When starting the process of how to build an MVP for your app, the first step is to carry out comprehensive market research. This will help you understand what features your target audience is looking for and how they want their apps to be. 

This process will help create an MVP that meets users' expectations and identifies potential customers or investors interested in what you offer. Also, analyzing your competitor's apps is crucial. Find out what features they are offering, and look at the reviews they have received. This will help you understand what your users expect from your app and what features make your competitors stand out.  

Wireframes Help You Visualize Your App’s Features and User Interface

Once you have done your market research, you will create a wireframe for your app. This will help you visualize how your app would look and the features it should have. Once you list all the features, prioritize them based on their importance and create a wireframe showing how they would interact. 

This will help you understand the project's scope and how much effort it would take to develop your app. You can also use wireframes to prototype and test the app with potential users. This will help you identify any flaws or features that need to be improved before you launch the full version.  

Identify Your App’s Revenue Model Early On  

The next step is identifying and developing a revenue model for your app. You must consider different options, such as subscription-based models, pay-per-download, or in-app purchases. This will help you decide how to monetize your app and how much money it will likely generate. 

Also, consider user experience while developing your revenue model. Ensure that the revenue model is not intrusive and does not hinder their experience.  

Time to Build Your MVP  

Once all the groundwork is done, developing your MVP is time. This phase includes developing, testing, and optimizing your app. You must create the MVP with all the core features identified in your wireframe and test it thoroughly before launching it.  

Testing with Beta Users Helps You Get Valuable Feedback  

Testing is an essential step for the success of your app. After developing and testing your MVP, you must launch it with beta users. This will help you get feedback from actual users and identify issues or problems with your app. You should also gather insights from the beta users to help you improve your app and make it more user-friendly.  

Finding Investors for Your MVP Is a Crucial Step for Success  

Once your MVP is ready and tested with beta users, it is time to look for investors. Start by identifying potential investors interested in your app. You can contact them through email or even attend conferences and pitch your product to them. 

Once you have identified potential investors, create a pitch deck and explain why your app is worth investing in. Support your case with user data like downloads, usage stats, or reviews.  

Launch Your App’s Final Version to the Public  

You can launch its final version after testing and optimizing your app. This is the most crucial step in determining whether your app is successful. Ensure all the features are working correctly and any bugs or glitches are fixed. Also, carry out promotional activities like social media campaigns, influencer marketing, or content marketing to spread the word about your app. This will help increase your user base and give you more visibility.  

Crafting an MVP to Attract Investors and Enhance User Experience

The key is to focus on the user experience and identify potential investors interested in investing in your app. With the right strategy, planning, and execution, you can create an MVP that will help you raise money for your mobile app and make it a success.  

Iterating and Innovating: Enhancing Your MVP with User Feedback and Industry Trends

After the MVP is launched, monitoring user feedback and making necessary improvements is crucial. Iterating on the app will help you create a successful product in the long run. This will allow you to generate more revenue and increase your user base. 

It is also essential to stay current with the latest trends and technologies in app development. This will help you stay ahead of the competition and create an even better product for your users.  

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How Much Does It Cost To Build A Minimum Viable Product?

How much does it cost to build an MVP? The short answer is that it usually falls between $25,000 and $50,000, but the reality is more nuanced. The cost can vary widely depending on the app’s complexity, the features you need, and the development team’s expertise. Let’s break it down to help you understand where your money goes.

MVP Cost Factors: What Influences the Price of a Minimum Viable Product?

Not all MVPs are created equal. For instance, building a Twitter-like app is a different ballgame than making something like Uber. The scope of your project—what your app needs to do and how it needs to look—determines the price. 

Think about these factors:

• Feature Set: Simple features like user registration or basic search functionality cost less than complex ones like geolocation tracking or AI-based recommendations. 
• Design Requirements: A basic design will cost less than a custom, high-end user interface. 
• Platform Choice: Are you targeting iOS, Android, or both? Developing for multiple platforms increases costs. 
• Team Size and Expertise: Hiring a seasoned development team or a reputable agency might cost more upfront but can save you money in the long run by delivering a high-quality product. 

The Costs by Development Stage

Here’s how the MVP budget typically breaks down by phase:

• Discovery & Research: This is where your idea comes to life. You’ll work with your team to understand the target audience, define the core problem your app will solve, and map out its main features. This stage often costs $5,000 to $10,000. 
• Prototyping: A clickable prototype gives you (and potential investors) a sense of how the app will look and function. This stage might run you another $5,000 to $10,000. 
• Design: Simple, clean designs are cheaper than custom, intricate ones. Expect to spend anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on your needs. 
• Development: This is where the bulk of your budget goes. An MVP with essential features typically costs $15,000 to $30,000 in this phase. 
• Testing: No app should go live without rigorous testing to catch bugs and ensure a smooth user experience. Budget $3,000 to $7,000 for this step. 

Can You Build an MVP for Less?

Yes, if you’re strategic! Using no-code or low-code platforms can significantly reduce costs, especially if your MVP doesn’t require advanced features. These tools are perfect for validating your idea quickly and affordably. Remember that scalability might be limited, and you may need to transition to custom development later. 

Timeline Matters

Here’s some good news: building an MVP doesn’t have to drag on forever. With the right team and efficient planning, it’s possible to go from concept to launch in one to three months. A faster timeline can save you money on development costs but might require a more focused feature set.

8 Examples Of Companies Who Choose MVP App Development

1. Amazon – Concierge & Landing Page MVP

Amazon started as an online bookstore. When Jeff Bezos first launched his landing page, he bought books from distributors and shipped them to customers who placed online orders. He did this to see if people would buy books from the internet. He built the initial website with only the essential features to reduce product development costs. 

Seeing the volume of book sales, he continued to add more books, upgrade the website, and expand to more products, eventually growing into a massive platform that sells everything. Today, Amazon is the gold standard in the e-commerce niche, with nearly $470 billion in revenue and a global market presence.

2. Facebook – Single Feature & First Man MVP

Facebook’s first MVP had only two main features: allow students to connect via their college or class and will enable them to post messages to their boards. Friends Reunited and other social platforms had similar ideas. Still, the simplicity of Facebook’s approach and the traction it gained as it went viral among college graduates proved unstoppable. 

They attracted users by satisfying their needs with minimal features and low maintenance costs. Before becoming the top social media known today, Facebook was mainly used around Harvard, making the students the first men to try this MVP software development example. 

3. Airbnb

The Airbnb app started as an MVP when its founders realized the challenges of booking hotels in San Francisco. They turned this challenge into an opportunity and began by setting up mattresses in their small room to earn money. Soon, the founders realized their idea’s worth, and now Airbnb is estimated at USD 5.99 billion. 

4. Zappos – Wizard of Oz MVP

Zappos is a well-known Wizard of Oz MVP software development example. Nick Swinmurn, the founder of this American online shoe and clothing, tested the hypothesis that people were willing to buy shoes online before trying them in 1999. He experimented by listing local products on Shoesite.com and shopping and delivering orders online. 

Consumers have drawn attention due to their convenience in providing precisely what people require. This model inspired him to create his website, which he renamed Zappos. It was a huge success and was later purchased by Amazon for $1.2 billion in 2009. Thanks to its high revenue and stable customer base, they are the forerunner of today’s Amazon. 

5. Uber – First Man MVP

Garret Camp and Travis Kalanick proposed matching drivers with passengers looking for a cheaper ride than a regular taxi. To test this idea, they played it smart and began with a simple MVP version rather than full-fledged mobile app development like UberCab. It was only available in San Francisco and only worked on iPhones or via SMS. 

By the way, it was sufficient to demonstrate that the concept had market potential. The data obtained from this MVP enabled Uber to test market risks and become one of San Francisco’s most valuable companies to be invested in. 

6. Instagram – Single Feature MVP

When one of the most popular social media platforms, Instagram, was released, it only had a few screens. Its main features were uploading a photo, applying a filter, and sharing it with friends on a daily feed. Over time, the Instagram team developed and enhanced the applications into a social media platform for photo and video sharing. Their MVP was the tool to test the idea’s viability and get user feedback. 

7. Spotify – Single Feature MVP

Spotify is another must-learn MVP software development example of how focusing on a single core feature rather than getting distracted by other cool features is better. They wanted to create the best music streaming service possible, so they focused their MVP on that part – music streaming. Spotify created a desktop app and ran a closed beta to test the market. 

While the MVP product and a freemium pricing model proved precisely what people wanted, the Spotify team spent time signing even more artists and developing mobile apps simultaneously to conquer the US market. This MVP assisted the company in getting customers’ insight more easily, costlessly, and profitably. 

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NUMI is a Framer web design agency powered by experienced Framer developers and product designers. Backed by Y Combinator, NUMI handles your startup's sourcing, vetting, and hiring design needs. We have a fabulous design team that ensures all of your design work is being done well. 

NUMI helps with: 

• Product design
• Web design
• Framer development
• Webflow development
• Mobile design
• Prototyping
• UX design
• All of your startup's design needs! 

Subscribe to a guild of world-class designers ready to embed on your team today. Schedule a call with us today to learn more!

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