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Building Your MVP in Bubble | Testing and Iterating

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Creating a successful MVP is all about balancing simplicity, functionality, and user-centered design. By focusing on understanding the problem, delivering one core feature, and iterating quickly, founders can build products that provide value from day one. Platforms like Bubble have made it easier than ever to bring an MVP to life, offering a structured path to building, testing, and improving your product.

Key Steps to Building a Great MVP

Here are some essential points to consider as you begin developing your MVP:

  1. Know the Problem: A successful MVP addresses a real pain point. Define the problem your product solves and how it benefits your target audience. As Andreessen Horowitz highlights, focusing on a specific issue lets you start small and scale as you grow.
  2. Build an MVP with One Killer Feature: Focus on one standout feature that will make your MVP valuable to users. Uber, for example, launched with a simple feature: book and pay for a car through a mobile app. It was small but had high value.
  3. Simplicity and Great Design: An MVP doesn’t have to be fancy, but it should be intuitive and easy to use. The “Goldilocks quality” concept, as discussed by Daniel Burka, suggests balancing function and polish—keeping it "not too high, not too low, but just right."
  4. Identify a Hook & Viral Loop: Look for a way to create organic growth. Think of ways your product can encourage users to invite others, creating a natural viral loop. This could be a referral incentive or social sharing feature.
  5. Retention Strategy for Talent: To grow, you’ll need a great team. Have a strategy for recruiting and retaining talent that is aligned with your vision and goals. Ensure the team can move quickly and support your product’s growth.
  6. Track Key Metrics: From the start, track metrics that matter. Whether it’s active users, engagement rates, or churn, keeping an eye on the right metrics will help you understand what’s working and where to improve.
  7. Know When to Sunset a Feature: Not every feature will hit the mark. If something isn’t resonating or is creating unnecessary complexity, be ready to retire it. Sunsetting a feature allows you to maintain focus on what’s most valuable.

The MVP Flywheel: An Iterative Approach

Creating an MVP is more than just launching a product; it’s about building a process that continually evolves. Think of it as a “flywheel” where each stage drives the next:

  • Build the Database: Establish a solid foundation where all your data will be stored.
  • Develop Workflows: Create efficient workflows that automate and streamline actions within the app.
  • Test the Application: Testing is essential for ensuring each feature functions as expected and provides a seamless experience.
  • Gather User Feedback: Engage with your users and collect feedback on what’s working and what’s not.
  • Iterate: Use the feedback to adjust workflows, improve the database, and refine features.

Bubble is an ideal platform for this type of iterative development. It offers resources like the Bubble Docs and the Bubble YouTube Channel, both of which provide tutorials on structuring databases, building workflows, and testing features. For non-technical founders, these resources simplify the process of creating a functional MVP without the need for extensive coding knowledge.

Setting Up the Foundation in Bubble

  1. Understand the Platform’s Documentation: Bubble’s documentation, especially sections on data structure and workflows, is key to building a reliable MVP. Even if you’re not using Bubble, similar principles apply on other platforms.
  2. Map Out Your Database: Visualize your database structure first. Break down the data you’ll need to store, such as user names, emails, and other relevant information.
  3. Use Workflows to Bring Pages to Life: Workflows connect your database with the application pages, creating dynamic content that responds to user actions.

Test, Debug, and Iterate

Testing and debugging should be a regular part of your process. Bubble includes a debugging feature to help you troubleshoot workflows and adjust features based on real-world performance. Iterate based on the results to ensure each part of your MVP delivers value effectively.

The Long-Term MVP Flywheel

Creating an MVP is only the beginning. You’ll continue to iterate based on feedback, adapting the flywheel process as your app grows:

  • Update the Database: Adjust your database to align with user needs and product evolution.
  • Adjust Pages and Workflows: Make improvements to workflows and design as new features are tested.
  • Gather Feedback and Refine: Consistently listen to users, track usage metrics, and make adjustments based on insights.

By setting up a strong foundation, focusing on a core feature, and maintaining a cycle of continuous improvement, you’ll be well on your way to building a product that resonates with users. This lean, iterative approach has guided Punt.so in creating its MVP—a strategy we’ll continue to follow as we scale.

In building an MVP, remember to stay focused on solving a real problem for a specific user and always be ready to adapt and improve. With the right approach, your MVP can evolve into a product that drives long-term success.

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