The MVP Development Process: From Idea to Launch

Building an MVP is not about shipping something half-baked. It is about shipping the right thing, fast: the smallest version of your product that tests your core hypothesis with real users. A structured process is what separates a successful MVP from a failed side project.

Here is how the process works when you work with a professional development studio, based on how we approach it at Shacksolutions.

Step 1: Discovery and strategy

Before any design or code, we need to understand what you are building and why. This is the most important phase. Getting it wrong here means building the wrong thing.

During discovery, we cover:

• The problem. What specific pain point are you solving? Who experiences it? How are they currently dealing with it?
• The users. Who are your early adopters? What are their habits, constraints, and expectations?
• The market. Who else is operating in this space? What is your angle? Why would someone choose your product?
• The hypothesis. What is the single most important thing you need to validate? This becomes the foundation of your MVP scope.

The output of discovery is a clear understanding of what needs to be built, who it is for, and what success looks like. This typically happens during one or two calls and takes around a week.

Step 2: Scoping and roadmap

With the strategy defined, we translate it into a concrete plan. This is where we decide exactly what gets built in the MVP and what gets deferred to later versions.

The scoping phase produces:

• Feature list. Every feature categorised as must-have (MVP), nice-to-have (v2), and future (v3+). We are ruthless about cutting scope at this stage.
• Technical architecture. Which technologies and platforms to use, database structure, hosting strategy, and third-party services.
• Timeline. A week-by-week breakdown of milestones and deliverables.
• Fixed quote. A transparent, itemised cost with no hidden fees.

You approve the scope and quote before we write a single line of code. If the scope changes later, we discuss the impact on timeline and cost upfront.

Step 3: Design and prototyping

Design is not about making things pretty. It is about making things usable. We start with the user experience and work outward to visual design.

The design phase includes:

• Wireframes. Low-fidelity layouts that define the structure and flow of every screen. This is where we validate navigation, information hierarchy, and user journeys.
• Interactive prototype. A clickable, high-fidelity prototype that looks and feels like the real product. You can tap through it on your phone, share it with stakeholders, and test it with potential users.
• Design system. A consistent set of colours, typography, spacing, and components that ensures visual coherence across the entire product.

The prototype is your opportunity to validate the user experience before committing to development. Changes at this stage are fast and cheap. Changes during development are not.

Step 4: Development and iteration

With the design approved, we move into development. We work in short, focused sprints, typically one or two weeks each.

How development works:

• Weekly demos. At the end of each sprint, we show you working software. Not mockups, not screenshots. The actual product running on a device or in a browser.
• Direct access. You have a dedicated Slack channel with the engineers working on your project. No account managers relaying messages. No week-long response times.
• Continuous feedback. If something does not feel right, we adjust. The iterative approach means feedback is incorporated in real time, not accumulated for a big reveal at the end.
• Quality assurance. Testing happens throughout development, not as a separate phase at the end. Automated tests catch regressions, manual testing catches experience issues.

Development is the longest phase, typically running 4 to 10 weeks depending on complexity. But because you see progress weekly, it never feels like a black box.

Step 5: Launch and deployment

Launch is not the finish line. It is the starting line. But it needs to go smoothly.

Our launch process covers:

• Production deployment. Setting up the production environment, configuring domains, SSL certificates, and CDN.
• App store submission. For mobile apps, we handle the App Store and Google Play submission process, including screenshots, descriptions, and review responses.
• Monitoring. Error tracking, performance monitoring, and alerting so we know about issues before your users do.
• Soft launch. We typically recommend launching to a small group first, gathering feedback, and iterating before a wider release.

Step 6: Post-launch support and growth

After launch, the real learning begins. Real users behave differently from what you expected. Some features get heavy use, others are ignored. New opportunities emerge.

Post-launch, we can help with:

• Bug fixes and maintenance. Ongoing support to keep the product running smoothly.
• Feature iteration. Building out the v2 features based on real user data and feedback.
• Scaling. Optimising performance, upgrading infrastructure, and handling growing traffic.
• Transition. If you are building an in-house team, we provide full documentation and knowledge transfer to make the handover seamless.

How long does the whole process take?

A typical MVP from first call to live product takes 8 to 14 weeks:

Phase	Duration
Discovery & Strategy	1 week
Scoping & Roadmap	1 week
Design & Prototyping	2-3 weeks
Development & Iteration	4-8 weeks
Launch & Deployment	1 week

This can be shorter for simpler products or longer for more complex platforms. We define the exact timeline during scoping so there are no surprises.

Getting started

If you have an idea and want to understand what the process would look like for your specific project, book a free strategy call. We will walk through your concept, help you prioritise features, and give you a clear picture of timeline and cost.