If your goal is to have a user-centered product launched in the market, you should build every new product feature like an MVP.
MVP is not a new concept, but its adoption has boomed in the last few years in the software industry
Most recently, the strategy of repeating the MVP process with every new feature, even if we are working on a new version, in gaining traction.
How we implement MVP strategy in the process of building a new feature?
Test the viability of a finished feature
There are so many ways to check how our users respond to a new feature, one of these is make A/B testing.
When we A/B test, we’re trying to choose between options to gain greater user acceptance – Do they like it better this way or that way? We can test A/B selecting a small group of our customer population, and turning on the feature for them and see how they respond.
We do these tests in order to avoid possible failures and making mistakes with a smaller audience. If your feature is not good, you will have a less significant impact.
At the end of the test, we’ll be able to do some conclusions:
- The new feature isn’t valid.
- The new feature breaks under certain stress.
- The new feature is being used in a way we weren’t expecting.
No rush
It’s necessary to go step by step. Building a feature prototype to launch to production can assure saving money and avoiding wasting time. Also we could enhance our value proposition before launch a finished feature, or introduce some changes if we detect something is going wrong, or just find out that our customers don’t need that feature.
Get the focus on how to scale the feature after a prototype
Even though we recommend go step by step, we also advise doing things thinking on the future. What I mean is, either you are launching a first version or updating an existing one, you must be focused on how to scale it later.
Imagine your feature is a success, and your users want to see more or ask you for other improvements, and if you didn’t consider it or just you don’t have a clear roadmap, probably you won’t be able to make these changes, if you didn’t consider how to scale after an MVFeature.
When you build an MVF you’re not just creating a feature. You’re going further, doing more than just that. You’re actually hoping to create a solution for users, solving a problem they might have.
Take measurements
Maybe the most important aspect that we take from an MVP strategy is the measurement. Use feedback loops, data capture mechanism when we bring a new feature to users, is what we need to do to avoid costly mistakes. In other words, hear what our users say.