To launch the final product, every startup must pass several stages. Validating ideas is one of the most important phases. Minimum viable products, as well as prototypes, can help you with it, but at different stages of product development. There is often confusion between prototype and MVP development. By comprehending both methodologies and utilizing them accurately, you will ensure that your business concept is accepted well by stakeholders and users. This will further enhance the success of your future product launch. Throughout this article, we will explain the differences between MVPs and prototypes.
What does a prototype mean?
A prototype is an early stage of software development during which product development and fixes can be made before the project is released to the public. It is also sometimes referred to as beta testing or beta phase, where a small group of users evaluate the initial project before it is finalized.
Prototyping is a complex process that requires you to create an economically viable and profitable product. A prototype allows you to explore and evaluate your ideas before investing in final product development, and it can be evaluated before investing in the final product. A product prototyping can range from a simple drawing on paper to a fully functioning model, depending on the size and complexity of the project.
A prototype is the first product that gets fabricated based on an original idea. As part of this process, engineers may use a range of tools and fixtures in order to prepare the product. Because every stage involves a first-time trial without any predetermined techniques and processes, it is a time-consuming process. Furthermore, engineers must deal with errors, mistakes, and enhancements throughout the production process. In rapid prototyping, engineers develop products rapidly before they are released, and software is developed in steps so that clients can give feedback during the development process.
It is important to create a prototype of your app before committing to a complete mobile app development services.
Prototype example
- There are many types and shapes of prototypes. They are created for a variety of reasons. Some prototypes are developed simply to show investors how the product functions or looks (paper prototypes, HTML prototypes, etc.), while others display a miniature version with full or partial functionality (3D print, single lot, etc.) of the product.
Features of prototyping
Prototyping consists of the following features:
- An in-depth presentation
With prototyping, complex ideas can be combined into a unified and wide format, making it easier to communicate and visualize the concept as a whole. - Gather early feedback
Early feedback can help you make necessary improvements and refinements to your product. - Rapid development
Identifying mistakes at an early stage saves time and effort later on when it comes to rectifying them. - Efficiency in time and cost
Compared to full-scale development, it is more efficient and cost-effective. Your ideas can be validated and refined without investing extensive resources upfront. - Reusability
By using prototypes, especially for more complex projects, you can save time and effort in subsequent product development.
What does MVP mean?
MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product in software development. The term describes a development approach where a product is built with the bare minimum features needed to satisfy early adopters or users and gather valuable feedback for future development. MVPs are designed to validate the core concept of the product while minimizing the time, resources, and costs associated with it. MVP development allows developers to identify their product’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as make improvements based on user feedback before developing a full-featured product.
Minimum Viable Product examples
There are a number of famous applications that started as MVPs. Facebook is one such example. It was initially released as a tool to connect with friends. There was potential for expansion of the idea. With time, more complex features were added to the platform.
Airbnb is another example of an MVP. In the beginning, they created a platform where people could book air mattresses in San Francisco only for design conference attendees. In no time, they had several paying customers. As a result, the company expanded and became famous.
Main features of MVP development
A successful MVP should have the following features:
- Production at a low cost
As an economical version, it allows quick launch and learning without a significant investment of time and money. It’s especially useful for startups seeking funding. - An iterative process
Focuses on the core concept and builds additional features incrementally based on feedback from early users. It saves time that is usually wasted on unnecessary elements. - Focus on the core features
Although a single core feature may not always convey the whole product idea, it illustrates its essence. The development of too many features too early can distract users and prevent accurate customer feedback. - A value-driven approach
Early users can suggest improvements based on their pain points, which can then be incorporated into the final product. - Targeted audience
Rather than targeting a broad audience, it focuses on a specific niche, then gradually refines the target persona. As a result, you are able to solve problems faster than your competitors.
Are prototypes and MVPs similar?
The purpose of prototypes and MVPs is to determine if a product is viable. In order to validate a product’s viability, three important questions need to be answered: Is the product profitable? Is it possible to implement it? Can it be scaled? Your software must address these issues if you want it to succeed. MVPs and prototypes allow us to test the viability of a digital product earlier in the software development life cycle without having to build the whole product. They both save time, reduce risk, and reduce future technical debt.
Prototype vs MVP: The differences
Prototypes and MVPs are different stages of product development. A prototype is used at the pre-product stage and involves a minimal-to-medium amount of investment. An MVP develops the core features and functions of your product so that you can test how well your idea fares on the market. The process of MVP development takes more time and money than that of creating a prototype. Below is a table that compares prototype and MVP.
| Specification | Prototype | MVP |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Demonstrate the business concept and visualize product flows | Determine if an idea is marketable based on feedback from real end users |
| Implementation method | No-code visual prototype for mobile/web | Your first product version |
| When to develop | In the final stages of product definition | The beginning of the product development process |
| Development time | Weeks | Months |
| Audience | Stakeholders and focus groups | Investors and early adopters |
| Investing in resources | It relies mainly on UX/UI patterns and does not require much coding/tech expertise | Technical expertise, UX/UI, and coding are involved, but the resources needed are much lower than for similar full-scale products |
| A scenario for use | Determine where the product idea is lacking and how it can be improved | Get funding and access to user feedback |
| Evaluation of risks | Reduce the risk of user dissatisfaction | Develop products with less risk |
| Investment | Medium budget | Well-defined budget |
| Revenue | Investing in it helps generate more investment | It creates investment and encourages early adopters to buy |
| Further usage | Builds MVPs | Develops a full-fledged product |
Prototype vs MVP: Which is right for you?
Both techniques are used to test a product earlier in the development process without having to build the entire product first. Prototypes and MVPs can both reduce costs, risks, and technical debt in the future.
- You should create a prototype if you have a limited budget and need to test the basic concept of the product.
- You should opt for MVP development if you want to determine how well a feature performs against what users are really looking for.
It is difficult to determine a clear winner. Hence, you should decide based on the stage of the project and the audience you have available. Our expert team at OpenXcell, always chooses the solution that meets the business goals, budget, and user needs when developing a proposal. Whether you need a prototype or a minimum viable product, we can help you choose the best option. Build your software product development team at OpenXcell to launch a successful product in the market at a reasonable cost.