How to Choose a Strategic Set of MVP Features

Imagine you want to create an app for booking tables at restaurants. Instead of developing a full-fledged platform with menu selection, a bonus system, and notifications, you release a version with a basic feature — table booking by time. After collecting feedback, you decide which features to add next.

Thus, MVP is a way to test an idea, gather early user feedback, and lay the foundation for a successful scalable product.

If you are considering building an MVP, it is crucial to have a clear plan and strategy — this will significantly increase your chances of success!
When creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for a client, one of the main challenges is determining which features should be scaled back and which should be postponed for future development. It’s essential not only to minimize the functionality but to make this choice thoughtfully and strategically. The main goal is to build a product that will interest early users while aligning with long-term business goals.

Developing the MVP Roadmap

To determine the feature set for an MVP, you first need to understand two key things: user goals and business objectives. What exactly do users aim to achieve, and how does the product help them? At the same time, it is important to consider business goals: what results and metrics are most significant to the client?

Once this data is clarified, you can proceed to create a features roadmap. This is not just a list of "nice-to-haves" but a precise plan with priorities based on the following aspects:

• Development time and cost for each feature, typically estimated using methods such as story points or time boxing.
• Value for users, analyzed using frameworks such as the Kano method.
• Value for the business, including the impact on customer acquisition costs (CAC) or lifetime value (LTV).

The key challenge is to find an optimal balance. This is where structured categories and frameworks come in handy.

Four Categories of Features for MVP

We use a structured approach, dividing features into four categories to help prioritize effectively and make informed decisions.

1. Big Bets
Core features that form the backbone of the product. Implementing these features requires significant effort and resources, but they define the value and uniqueness of your product. Without them, the product cannot exist.
Example:
You’re developing a fitness app, and a personalized workout generator becomes your key feature. Its development requires machine learning algorithms capable of providing individual recommendations. While implementation is complex, this feature makes your product unique.
Technical Implementation:
Often involves building a robust backend, such as developing a microservices architecture for scalability or integrating complex APIs.

2. Quick Wins
Features that are easy to implement and have a significant impact on user experience.
Example:
Adding a "dark mode" or onboarding tips for first-time users. These elements don’t revolutionize the market but make the product more user-friendly and appealing.
Technical Implementation:
Quickly integrated using component libraries, for example, in React or Vue.js.

3. Increments
Low-priority features with minimal development costs. They are usually postponed until there is additional evidence confirming their value.
Example:
Additional search filters. Useful? Yes. Critical for the MVP? No.
Technical Implementation:
Marked as low-complexity or non-blocking tasks in tools like Jira. Implementation is feasible after the MVP launch.

4. Money Pits
Features that require significant resources but provide insufficient value.
Example:
A gamified leaderboard. The idea might seem attractive, but testing reveals it’s not that important to users.
Technical Implementation:
Complicated to build and might increase technical debt. Deferring such features saves team resources and allows focus on truly important tasks.

Features in this category are postponed until there is compelling evidence for their necessity.

Defining the Feature Set for an MVP

The key to creating an MVP feature set is achieving the right balance.

Big Bets serve as the foundation of the product, showcasing its core value, but their number should be limited to avoid overcomplicating development.
Quick Wins add the finishing touch, creating an impression of thoughtfulness and comfort.
Increments are better kept in reserve for future development.
Money Pit Features should be avoided unless there is strong evidence proving their value.

After planning, we move on to implementation, but this is not a static process. We regularly update the plan based on user feedback received after the launch:

• What do users particularly like?
• Which elements cause difficulties?
• At what stage do users stop interacting with the product?

These insights help optimize the current version and set priorities for the next stages of development.

Why Is This Approach Effective?

The MVP approach is rooted in learning. It’s not about creating the perfect product on the first try but about offering something to users, studying their reactions, and refining the product further. This strategy allows you to focus on key aspects and avoid wasting time and resources on features that don’t provide value.

Making such decisions can be challenging, but correctly prioritizing features in MVP development is often the difference between failure and a successful, scalable product.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us—we’ll be happy to help!