MVP Development

Most MVPs fail in scoping rather than engineering. The feature list is assembled from everything stakeholders want, trimmed slightly for budget, and shipped as a thin version of the eventual product. It launches, usage is ambiguous, and nobody can say whether the idea was wrong or the execution was. That is an expensive way to learn nothing.

How we scope one

• Name the riskiest assumption. Usually that someone will pay, or that a workflow is genuinely better. That assumption sets the scope.
• Cut everything that does not test it. Admin panels, settings screens and nice-to-haves can wait; they rarely change what you learn.
• Keep the quality bar on what remains. Fewer features, properly built, beats more features half-built.
• Instrument from day one, so launch produces evidence rather than opinions.

What we deliberately leave out

Frequently asked questions

How much does an MVP cost in the UK?

Typically £30,000–£80,000 for something real users can use. Below roughly £30,000 you are generally buying a prototype rather than a product — useful for demonstrating an idea, not for testing whether people will pay for it.

How long does it take?

Eight to twelve weeks is the usual range, including discovery and launch. Faster than that normally means the scope was already extremely clear; much slower usually means it was not an MVP.

What happens after launch?

You should have evidence rather than a finished product. Either the assumption held and the next phase is justified, or it did not and you have saved the cost of building the rest. Both are good outcomes; only one feels like it at the time.

Can we use no-code instead?

Often yes, and we will say so. If a no-code tool can test the assumption in two weeks for a fraction of the cost, that is the better first step. Custom development earns its place when the thing being tested is the software itself.

How the engagement runs

• Scoping call, then discovery. We establish what you actually need before quoting. You approve scope before we write a line of code.
• Fixed price or capped time and materials. Tightly specified work suits a fixed price; genuinely new work suits a capped retainer. We recommend one rather than offering both and letting you guess.
• Weekly demos. You see working software every week, so nothing surprising turns up at the end.
• You own everything. Repositories, infrastructure and documentation transfer to you on payment. No vendor lock-in, no licensing you do not control.
• NDA as standard, usually before the first detailed call. We will often send one ourselves if you do not.

If you are planning work of this kind and want a straight assessment of scope, timeline and cost, tell us what you are building. We work with clients across the UK, EU and US.