A Mini-Guide to Picking MVP Features

Have you ever felt stuck when deciding which features to include in your minimal viable product (MVP)?

Most of the time it happens but you can determine the minimal viable product development process by using the lean startup methodology. MVP features are the first product features to be built. They are usually the most basic form of a new product and they should be easy to understand, easy to use and test.

The focus of MVP features is on learning how your potential customers use the product that you’ve designed. This helps you understand what they like and dislike about it, as well as what features would be most valuable for them.

MVP features can also play a role in helping you get feedback from people who have tried out your product or service before you launch it commercially. This aids in ensuring that your MVP is prepared for widespread usage. Also, It would be a wise decision to seek the assistance of any bespoke software development company in the UK when it comes to selecting the MVP features.

What is MVP (Minimum Viable Product)?

A majority of people only have a limited idea of what an MVP is. The definition is: ‘Minimum viable product (MVP) is a software development concept that helps streamline the launch of a new product. It’s meant to include the minimum features that can adequately address a problem of potential customers or users’.

Let’s first understand what MVP is all about.

The basic idea behind MVP is to focus on creating something that works and getting it out there as soon as possible, even if it’s not perfect. The team behind MVP typically chooses a small number of users, tests the product with them, and then iterates based on feedback

Advantages of Creating An MVP

There are a number of advantages to creating an MVP.

First, the idea can be tested with real users before a large investment is made in terms of time and money. The quicker you can get feedback, the easier it is to work out whether the product works and if it needs to be changed or improved.

Second, if you have a working prototype, it means that you’re ready to start attracting investors and collaborators who can help take your idea from an idea to a profitable business.

Third, an MVP gives you insight into whether there’s demand for your product or not. If people aren’t interested in what you have to offer, this will show up on the front end with no need for expensive marketing campaigns.

Fourth, creating an MVP can save money as well as time because you don’t have to worry about building software from scratch when experimenting with design ideas or functionality.

Instead of spending months designing everything from scratch and then testing it for functionality before launching, an MVP makes it possible for you to get feedback straightaway which allows changes quickly when necessary. This also saves time because you don’t have to build a complicated product in a short time period.

Fifth, implementing an MVP allows users to test out your product before they actually use it. This can be helpful because it will help them understand what they are getting into and make sure that they are comfortable with the idea before investing their hard-earned money in your product.

Sixth, creating an MVP can help you get more customers and better sales figures if you have already built a successful website or app yourself. If people are already familiar with your brand and use your product or service, this will increase their trust in buying from you and this ensure a repetitive customer base.

Stages of Creating an MVP

The process of creating an MVP consists of five stages:
1. Identify the problem you want to solve and the pain points you want to address.
2. Determine your startup’s value proposition and what differentiates it from existing solutions.
3. Articulate a clear and concise solution to your problem.
4. Create a wireframe or prototype of your MVP that can be used as a proof of concept for investors and customers, so they can understand how your product works and see it in action before committing to a full-scale launch.
5. Launch your MVP so you can gather feedback from users and improve upon your product based on this feedback.

Top 2 Ways To Pick MVP Features

#1 User Story Mapping:

User Story Mapping is a powerful tool to help you visualise your MVP and determine which features are important. The way user stories are mapped, you can see which features are important to them.

User stories have a clear beginning, middle, and end. This helps you to prioritise your feature list based on your customers’ needs. You can also create a visual representation of these user stories to make it easier to understand what each feature does.

For example, if you have a story like “My users want to book an appointment,” you know that this feature should be implemented first. You can also add details about what the user will see when they click on the feature (e.g., “I will see a form where I can enter my name and email address”).

Here are The Steps Involved:

Step 1: Define Benefits

Benefits are the reason why customers would buy your product. They are the main driver for buying your product, so it’s essential to clearly define each benefit and ensure it is clear and beneficial to the user.

Step 2: Recreate the Journey

Recreate your customer journey map by capturing all key steps on paper or in an Excel spreadsheet. This will help you identify which step(s) are important and what type of information is needed at each step. You can also use this as a guide when creating MVP features.

Step 3: Write Down the MVP Features for Each Step

You will write down the MVP features for each step. This is where you will describe how your product will work. Think about what features you want to include in each step and what features you don’t need.

Step 4: Rank MVP Features in Each Step From Must-Haves to Won’t-Haves

Start with the must-have MVP features. These are your product’s most important and essential elements and should be included in your MVP. If there are gaps between these two categories, you will have to add them to your MVP as a separate feature.

Step 5: Map the MVP

In this step, you map out what all the features in your MVP should do. You should also consider how these features will fit together to create a complete experience.

For example, if you have a weather app that lets people check the weather in their town and share it with their friends, it would make sense to include a feature that lets them share pictures of what they see on the weather app.

You can use any tool that supports user story mapping to map your MVP features.

For example, you could use something like UserVoice or JIRA Agile for User Stories or User Story Mapping tools like Balsamiq Mockups or Axure RP Pro.

#2 Opportunity Scoring Technique:

Step 1: Find Your App’s Potential Users

You first have to find out who your potential users are. If you have a clear picture of your target audience, it’s easier for you to reach them and make them aware of the app/software.

To do this, you must conduct user research by building a persona. A persona is a fictional character representing the average user of your app (e.g., a woman aged between 25-35) as well as their job title, industry, and location.

You can use tools like Qualtrics or Google Analytics to determine how many users are active monthly on your site and how many apps they download monthly (this information will help you identify high-value customers).

Step 2: Create an Online Survey or Interview Your Subjects

You can use a survey or interview to gather more information about your MVP features. This is a good way to gather your data and get feedback from your subjects in one step.

Step 3: Ask Your Potential Users to Rate Each of the Features in Existing Apps

If you have already created a prototype, it’s time to run the MVP feature with your development team. The first thing you should do is create an MVP feature that has all the features required. Once you are done with this step, run the prototype and ask users to rate each of the features in your app. You can use any method that helps you get positive feedback from your users about their experience with your app.

For example, if you have an e-commerce app where users can buy products from different categories, then ask them to rate how easy it is for them to browse products and how easy it is for them to search for products by category or brand name. If you have a social media app where people can share photos with their friends, ask them to rate how easy it is to find similar photos in their network or search for photos by keyword (e.g., “Wedding”).

Conclusion

As you decide what to include in your MVP, ensure you don’t forget the essentials. Figure out everything you must put into the app from the start, then add features necessary to get users hooked and coming back.

Your MVP should be simple because it is meant to test your idea and your preconceptions. In the end, your MVP should have sufficient features to satisfy the demands of your customers. You can include advanced features to engage your users further after your MVP has been validated.

We are one of the leading bespoke software development companies in the UK. If you have an idea for a project, we can help you determine which features should be included in your minimal viable product.

Get in touch with us today for a free consultation to start the MVP for your application or any software development services!!