MVP development: a first version for real users
For founders with funding and for companies that want to test a new digital product: we build the smallest version that gives real users a real benefit, and that can keep growing afterwards.
An MVP is not a throwaway prototype. It gets the same foundation as our own products: typed code, automated tests and repeatable deployments. After the launch you extend it instead of starting again.
The hardest part is leaving things out. That is why the scope is agreed in writing before development starts.
When an MVP makes sense, and when it does not
Makes sense
- You want to know whether customers use or pay for a solution before you invest more
- An investor or a pilot customer expects a working version
- Your company wants to test a new digital offer alongside its core business
Better not yet
- The idea has not been discussed with possible customers yet; conversations help more than code
- There is no budget for the project yet
- An existing standard product already solves the problem
How we define the scope
Goal and core task
Which one task should a user be able to complete? Everything else goes on a list for later.
Prioritised scope in writing
In the paid concept we define what goes into the first version and what does not. If you commission the project, only a small part of the concept is charged.
First version in milestones
At every milestone you see working software and have access to the repository.
Launch and next steps
After the launch you receive a plan for the next steps, based on what users actually do.
What an MVP often includes
Only what your first version really needs goes in. These building blocks come up often:
- Sign-in, accounts and roles
- Registration, password reset and permissions, so the first users can start right away.
- Payments
- Subscriptions or one-off payments through a payment provider such as Stripe.
- Web app or mobile app
- A web application with Angular, or an app for Android and iOS with Flutter, depending on where your users are.
- Hosting that grows with you
- Repeatable deployments and monitoring from the first release, so growth does not mean rebuilding.
From idea to product: ZugNow
We took ZugNow, our e-invoicing app, from the first idea to a live product ourselves.
View ZugNow- Accounts and subscriptions with Stripe; each payment event is processed only once.
- Business rules with legal weight: mandatory invoice details under § 14 UStG are checked before an invoice is finalised.
- Infrastructure defined as code, with monitoring and alerts from the start.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an MVP take?
That depends on the scope. After the concept you know the milestones and dates, in writing, in the proposal.
What does an MVP cost?
The scope decides. The initial conversation is free; the concept is paid, and only a small part of it is charged if you commission the project. Before development starts you receive a written proposal with scope, milestones and costs.
Do I own the code?
Once the project is paid for, you receive the source code and the rights of use agreed in the contract.
What happens after the first version?
You decide: we develop the product further with you, or we hand over code and documentation so that your own team or another provider can continue.
Tell us about your project
Describe what you want to have built, your timeline and your budget range. You get a personal reply from the person who would work on your project.
From the first conversation to the handoverSebastian Streng