Factors that can affect the development time of your MVP [Updated for 2024]

Do you want to fail? Of course not! Do you want to ship a flawed product? Also no? Well, you can't have both...

See, in software development, the concept of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) has emerged as a beacon for startups and entrepreneurs. An MVP represents the bare-bones essence of a product, equipped just enough to validate its core value proposition and gather precious user feedback. In other words, something you’d call a flawed product. But in a good way.

However, the development time required to breathe life into this MVP is a intricate equation, influenced by a multitude of factors. Grasping these variables is essential for non-technical founders to set realistic expectations and steer the development process with finesse.

Lose yourself in trying to create the perfect product and you may soon risk becoming the modern day equivalent of Don Quixote chasing windmills. So, here are some non-obvious factors that can negatively affect the development time of your MVP:

Scope creep

At the heart of an MVP lies the careful selection of features. The number, complexity, and interdependencies of these features directly impact development time. A pared-down MVP with a laser-sharp focus on core functionalities will undoubtedly require less time than an ambitious one overflowing with a comprehensive feature set. The key lies in striking a delicate balance between simplicity and depth, ensuring the MVP captures the essence of the product while remaining lean enough for rapid development.

Gathering user feedback is essential for product refinement, but it's important to resist the temptation of incorporating every suggestion into the MVP.

There’s a great Simpson’s episode about it (isn’t there a Simpson’s episode for like, anything?) where Homer, backed by his entrepreneur brother, designs the perfect car with every feature you can think of. Here’s how it turned out:

The perfect car