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According to McKinsey, 17% of IT projects fail the business trying to execute them. Poor market, product, development, and consumer research lead to a product’s failure cases.
As you already know from our previous article, the Minimum Viable Product is the initial project phase for user release, serving as the foundation for launching the final project.
So, imagine, your MVP development is complete, and the company is ready to take the first step into the market. This stage is a critical moment for any business, as it allows you to introduce the core version of your product, gather invaluable feedback from customers, and test your initial assumptions. But once your MVP is live, what comes next?
Many companies believe the hard part is over after the MVP is launched, but in reality, life after MVP is where the real transformation happens. The next phase is taking everything you’ve learned from users and refining, improving, and scaling your product. Let’s explore the path companies often take after launching an MVP and what steps lie ahead in the journey of continued development.
Testing the Waters: The MVP in the Market
After the MVP is released, the first step for any business is to test the product in the market. The goal is to gather as much feedback as possible from early adopters. By observing how customers interact with your MVP, you can learn a lot about how well it solves their problems, what features are most important to them, and where there might be gaps in the user experience.
This feedback helps answer key questions:
- Are the initial core features of the product, conceived before or during the MVP stage, genuinely necessary for customers? In other words, does the outcome align with the original plan?
- Are there additional features users are requesting?
- What parts of the product are causing friction or dissatisfaction?
While the initial version of the MVP contains only the most essential features, this testing phase reveals what needs to be improved or added to make the product more valuable and competitive in the market.
Returning for Further Development: Building Beyond the MVP
Once feedback is gathered, many companies realize that additional development is required. In an ideal scenario, businesses return to us for the next stage of development, starting a new chapter of collaboration. This is the beginning of what we call the post-MVP development phase.
During this phase, the development team focuses on adding more features, initially deprioritized and left out of the MVP and new ones based on user feedback. This is a critical stage because it allows companies to refine their product, enhance its value proposition, and address the pain points identified by early users.
Features from the original backlog that didn’t make it into the MVP due to lower priority can now be revisited. At the same time, user feedback might uncover new opportunities and reveal necessary improvements that were previously unforeseen.
The Role of the Business Analyst: Rediscovering Requirements
During the initial Discovery Phase, our team collaborates closely with the client to gather requirements for the MVP. However, after the MVP is launched and tested in the market, the process begins again, with even more precision.
At this stage, the business analyst steps back in to reassess and refine the product requirements based on the new data and feedback. The requirements gathering process continues with a fresh perspective, now focused on what will move the product from a minimum viable product to a core product. The business analyst’s role becomes even more crucial in the post-MVP phase.
Their job is:
- Reviewing original requirements
Assess the initial requirements to ensure they remain relevant. - Updating and refining
Collaborate with the client to remove outdated elements and refine existing requirements. - Detailing
Provide further details and clarity on the requirements based on current project needs. - Implementing changes
Adjust the original specifications to align with the project’s evolving goals.
As noted by **Fortunly, 18% of businesses fail due to cost overruns, and a thorough product discovery process can help avoid this. By accurately estimating the project scope, businesses can prevent unexpected cost increases caused by scope changes or unforeseen complexities. This process helps to avoid additional work, ultimately reducing project delivery time and costs.
Balancing Priorities: Old Backlog vs. New User Feedback
During the post-MVP development phase, there is a need to find a balance between addressing the old backlog items and dealing with new user feedback. Features not included in the minimum viable product (MVP) may still be valuable, but must now compete for attention with the requests arising from actual product usage.
It’s essential to approach this point with a clear strategy. Some features from the original backlog may no longer be as relevant or valuable as initially thought. At the same time, new user-driven requests could have a higher impact on overall customer satisfaction and product adoption.
This is where a collaborative approach between the development team and the business comes into play. By carefully selecting features that align with the product vision and support its growth, companies can build a cohesive and scalable product that truly serves their audience rather than reacting to every user request. Not all feedback is valuable, so it’s essential to prioritize features that contribute to the product’s long-term success.
Continuous Development: The Never-Ending Cycle of Improvement
The post-MVP phase is not a one-off development sprint. It marks the beginning of an ongoing process of continuous improvement. As the product matures, new insights will continue to emerge, and the development cycle will keep iterating.
This cycle includes:
- Regular updates based on new market demands.
- Enhancements to improve the product’s scalability and performance.
- Adjustments to the user experience to ensure customer satisfaction.
Our team remains a partner in the company’s journey. We’re committed to long-term collaboration, offering ongoing support, development, and strategic insights to help the business grow. If our team developed your MVP, we possess the expertise to build the core product faster and more efficiently.
However, if you’ve engaged with us after the MVP stage, rest assured—we will comprehensively analyze your requirements, meticulously define the necessary elements, and execute a successful product launch. Partnering with our team from the MVP phase guarantees a seamless, high-quality progression as your product matures and reaches its full potential.
MVP Is Just the Beginning
An MVP launch is an exciting and important milestone for any company, but it’s just the beginning. Life after MVP is where the real work begins—testing, gathering feedback, and iterating on the product to meet market demands and user needs.
At this stage, the company refines its product, considers adding some new features, and improves its overall value proposition. By collaborating with a trusted development partner, businesses can ensure they’re responding to customer feedback and proactively shaping their product future.
JetRuby Agency has particular expertise in developing software from the ground. We help customers with software projects in various sectors during the discovery phase and thoroughly examine your product concept and context while offering efficient discovery advice. We believe the product’s success is determined by both its original concept and how well it is implemented.
Whether you need to enhance your MVP or start a new development phase, we’re here to guide you through the post-MVP process, offering the expertise and support to take your product to the next level.
