6 Steps To KickStart Your Idea With A No-code MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

Introduction

A popular meme by Ycombinator suggests that being a smart founder doesn't always guarantee you the fastest success. 

While it's important to conduct thorough research and gather user feedback, it's often more effective to present the market with a minimum usable version (or minimum viable product) of your product that solves the target problem. 

This approach allows for iterative improvements on your product based on user feedback and thus, led to the creation of the idea of a minimum viable product.

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What Is A Minimum Viable Product?

A minimum viable product (MVP) is a concept in product development that refers to the process of creating a simplified version of a product with only its core features. 

The idea behind the minimum viable product (or MVP) is for founders and startup businesses to develop the basic version of a product that can be tested in the market 

and validated with early adopters, without investing too much time or money into a fully-featured product that may not succeed.

But then, 

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What Is The Job Of A Minimum Viable Product?

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The job of your minimum viable product (MVP) is to quickly test and validate a business idea with minimal resources and investment. 

Only the essential features needed to satisfy your early customers and gain feedback from users are usually built into the minimum viable product.

The main goal of your MVP will be to learn as much as possible from your users while minimizing the time, effort, and resources needed to create the final product. 

By testing a basic version of the product, you can quickly identify whether there is 

• Demand for your product or service, 
• What do your users like and dislike, and 
• How to improve the product for them in the future.

However, a different product model exists known as the Minimum Lovable or Minimum Awesome Product.

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Minimum Viable Product Vs Minimum Awesome Product

A minimum awesome product (MAP) or minimum delightful product (MDP) is an extension of the MVP concept. 

Unlike the minimum viable product, which is focused solely on delivering a basic version of the product, the MAP or MDP is designed to deliver a product with the minimum features required to make it stand out from the competition and provide a delightful user experience.

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The difference between a minimum viable product and a MAP or MDP is that the MVP is focused on providing a product with minimum features to meet the needs of early adopters and validate the concept, while the MAP/MDP is focused on delivering a product that not only meets the basic needs of early adopters but also provides an exceptional user experience that sets it apart from other products in the market.

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Related: 5 Clever Strategies To Attract Early Adopters To Your Startup

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Can You Oversimplify Your Minimum Viable Product?

Let’s assume you are developing a no-code mobile app for a meal delivery service, your Minimum Viable Product could be a basic version of the app that allows users to 

• select a meal from a limited menu and 

• place an order for delivery. 

Your 'minimum viable product (MVP)' would not include non-essential features such as in-app payments or user profiles, which could be added later based on user feedback.

However, oversimplifying an MVP can be problematic and this is recently being seen among founders testing concepts. 

If the meal delivery app fails to deliver the basic value it promises to users or gather accurate feedback, then this results in an instance of oversimplifying your MVP.

them. For instance, if the meal delivery app MVP only allows users to select a meal but does not provide any information on delivery time or location, users may become frustrated and abandon the app before providing you with any feedback. 

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How Your Minimum Viable Product Should Be Built - The Agile Method

This analogy uses the MVP for an early adopter who wants a car. 

Most founders currently focus on delivering a wheel-level product to that early adopter. 

However, the basic problem of an early adopter that's looking to use a car -assuming a car is the aim of our project or is the startup idea- is

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"Moving from point A to point B"

Giving the early adopter a skateboard in the initial phase as your minimum viable product still solves the core problem of the user, which is to move from one point to the other, while also providing enough room for feedback that can eventually lead to producing a standard car and that leads to better product development process.

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When your user uses a skateboard, they can then give feedback like:

‍Feedback 1: It's harder to turn around in this, can you make the product easier to turn around bends and curves on the road?

Feedback 2: I'd like if it's possible to sit down while on the move. Can you make the product such that while I move around, I can also be sitting?

Feedback 3: It would be a good idea if this product can move automatically without me having to push myself forward with my foot.

Oversimplifying an MVP often stems from inaccurate assumptions about the user's needs and preferences, which ultimately hinders the development of successful products.

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Rare Cases Where Founders Can Go Wrong With Their Minimum Viable Product?

1. When building a product in an already-established market

If you are building a product in a market that is already well-established, you may need to create a MAP or MDP to differentiate yourself from the competition.

For example, if you are building a social media platform, you may need to create a MAP or MDP with unique features that set you apart from Facebook or Twitter.

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2. When building a product that usually has complex features:

If your product requires complex features or functionality, you may need to create a Minimum Awesome Product (MAP) or Minimum Delightful Product (MDP) to ensure that the product works correctly and meets the needs of your users. 

For instance, if you are building accounting software, you may need to create a MAP or MDP that includes all the necessary features and functionality your users require.

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3. When building a product with a high price point: 

If your product has a high price point, you may need to create a Minimum Awesome Product or Minimum Desirable Product to validate the market demand before investing a significant amount of resources in developing the final product. 

For example, if you are building a luxury car, you may need to create a MAP or MDP and not simply a minimum viable product to ensure that there is demand for the product before investing millions of dollars in manufacturing.

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6 Steps To Kickstart Your Idea With A No-Code Minimum Viable Product.

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Step 1: Define Your Idea: 

The first step to kickstart your MVP (minimum viable product) is to have a clear understanding of your business idea. A few steps that can help you do this include: 

• Defining your target audience, 
• Having specific business goals, and 
• Having a clear sight of the problem that you aim to solve with your product. 

These will help you to create a clear vision of what you want to achieve with your no-code MVP.

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Step 2: Identify the Features: 

The next step is to identify the features that are essential for your MVP. 

Understanding the problems you’re trying to solve, helps you create a corresponding solution. 

List the features you think are most important to your customers and focus on building them first. This will help you to create a minimum viable product that can be launched quickly.

If your MVP is the same as an existing product, you can find templates online to help you launch your app faster and test the market quickly.

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Related: The 5 Best Bubble.io Template For Your 2023 No-Code Project.

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Step 3: Choose a No-Code Platform

Select a no-code platform that suits your needs. 

There are several no-code platforms available, each with its own set of features and functionalities. 

A comprehensive study of the pricing of these no-code tools, the flexibility of the platforms and the presence of a database can be deciding factors.

Bubble.io (Nerdheadz choice), Flutterflow, and Appgyver are some of the popular no-code platforms that you can choose from.

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Related: Easy For Newbies: The 10 Best No-code App Builders in 2023. 

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Step 4: Design Your Minimum Viable Product: 

Use the chosen no-code platform to design your MVP. 

Start with building the core features of your product and gradually add additional features as needed. 

Keep the design simple and easy to use for your target audience.

If you have no knowledge of web design and designing user experience and user interfaces, simply reach out to the Nerdheadz team, and we’ll be happy to help.

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Step 5: Test and Validate: 

Once you have built your MVP, it's time to test and validate it. 

Share your minimum viable product with your target audience and gather feedback. 

This will help you identify any areas needing improvement and make necessary changes.

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Step 6: Launch and Iterate: 

Finally, the next step is to launch your MVP and continue to iterate based on the feedback you receive. 

Keep refining your product until you reach a point where you are confident that it provides value to your customers.

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Conclusion

The six steps above will help you kickstart your idea with a no-code minimum viable product. 

By creating a minimum viable product, you can quickly test and validate your business idea and make necessary changes before investing more resources. 

With the right approach, agency, and tools, you can build a successful business or startup with a no-code MVP.

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