Founder
What is an MVP (Really)?
The term MVP—Minimum Viable Product—is often misunderstood. It's not:
- A crappy first version
- A prototype with bugs
- A feature-complete product built quickly
An MVP is the smallest thing you can build to test your core hypothesis.
The 8-Week MVP Framework
This framework has helped 50+ startups launch successfully:
Week 1-2: Validation
Before writing any code, validate your assumptions:
Customer Discovery
- Interview 10+ potential customers
- Ask about their problems, not your solution
- Look for patterns in pain points
Market Validation
- Size your total addressable market (TAM)
- Identify 5-10 competitors
- Find your differentiation angle
Tools like reBacklog can automate competitor analysis, saving you hours of manual research.
Week 3: Feature Scoping
Now that you understand the problem, scope your solution:
The One-Feature Rule
Your MVP should solve ONE problem really well:
Bad MVP Scope:
✗ User authentication
✗ Social features
✗ Analytics dashboard
✗ Integrations
✗ Mobile app
✗ Admin panel
= 6 months of development
Good MVP Scope:
✓ Core value proposition
✓ Basic onboarding
✓ Payment (if B2B/SaaS)
= 4-6 weeks of development
Week 4-6: Development Sprint
Time to build:
Tech Stack Decisions
For MVP speed, choose:
- Familiar technologies over trendy ones
- Managed services over self-hosted
- Monolith over microservices
Week 7: Beta Testing
Before public launch:
Recruit Beta Users
- 20-50 users is enough
- Mix of different personas
- Include skeptics, not just fans
Week 8: Launch
Time to go public:
Launch Checklist
- [ ] Analytics tracking working
- [ ] Error monitoring set up
- [ ] Support channels ready
- [ ] Marketing assets prepared
- [ ] Launch posts scheduled
Where to Launch
- Product Hunt (still works in 2025)
- Relevant subreddits
- Twitter/X with #buildinpublic
- Hacker News (for technical products)
- Industry newsletters
Common MVP Mistakes
Mistake 1: Too Many Features
Solution: Ruthlessly cut scope. If it's not core, it's post-launch.
Mistake 2: Premature Optimization
You don't need 99.9% uptime for an MVP. Focus on learning, not scaling.
Mistake 3: Ignoring Business Model
Even for MVP, know who pays you, how much, and when.
Building Your Backlog
A well-organized backlog keeps you focused. Modern tools can help generate and prioritize backlogs automatically.
Try reBacklog to see AI-assisted backlog generation in action.This article was generated by SeoMate - AI-powered SEO content generation.
