In this article, we'll share our top tips from founders for making the most of your MVP and setting the stage for even greater success.

What the books say

An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) launch is a pivotal moment for any startup. After months or even years of hard work, the moment has finally arrived to unveil your product to the world. But what comes next?

Let’s have a quick tour! For starters, you should prioritize gathering and analyzing user feedback. This is crucial for understanding what's working well and what's not. Based on this feedback, startupers can iterate on the MVP and make changes and improvements. Next, it's time to start scaling the product and expanding to new markets by increasing the number of users and building out the team. At the same time, it's important to start thinking about revenue and experimenting with different pricing models. Such a large load of tasks, huh?

But it's not all about the product. After an MVP launch, you should also focus on building relationships with potential customers and partners and start to build a community around your product. Additionally, tracking key performance metrics is essential, as it helps you understand how the product is performing and identify areas for improvement.

Finally, it's essential to start planning for the next phase. This means thinking about what new features will be added, what new markets will be expanded to, and what new partnerships will be pursued. Keep in mind that the MVP launch is just the first step and that it's important to be flexible and adapt as new information becomes available. With these considerations in mind, let's move further and dive into real-world lessons for product development.

Beyond the theory: real-world lessons for product development

The journey of developing a product is filled with twists and turns. To help you navigate the road ahead, we've gathered the six stories of startup founders who have been there and done that. From the initial launch of their MVP to the ongoing process of product development, these founders share valuable insights and lessons they've learned along the way. 

Don't ever beat yourself up for dropping a product too early

Sometimes the best course of action is to get your product in front of users as soon as possible, even if it's not quite ready for prime time. And never, NEVER be hard on yourself for ending a product's development prematurely. Take it from Brandyn Morelli, founder of Grapevine, who won Product of the Week on Product Hunt with a half-baked MVP. Once they launched, users immediately understood the product without needing extensive explanation — the goal was getting users to see how it could work in their workflow, not showing off a flashy product. Signups came in droves and people immediately "got it." He knows from experience:

"We felt we made the right call in launching early, gaining feedback, and then working on rapid development to fix any gaps."

Be on standby to answer comments as they come in

When launching a new product, the feedback you receive can be invaluable in helping you improve and grow. Whether it's positive or negative, it's all helpful and unique information. Moreover, it not only helps to build a loyal customer base but also creates a sense of community around your product. When comments start to come in for your launch, make sure to address them as quickly as possible. Most comments will be overwhelmingly positive, but some people will come in just to chop you down:

"Don't get defensive — reply and acknowledge their problem with how your product addresses their issue."

Don't fall for the free product trap

When it comes to launching a new product, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that offering it for free will attract more users. But as it turns out, that strategy can backfire. Based on feedback, many people assume there must be a catch when something is offered for free, such as the company collecting and selling their data.

John Wheal, the founder of Grouphub, learned this lesson the hard way. He initially offered a free plan, only to discover that it caused more skepticism than attraction among potential users. He had assumed that having a free product would cause people to flock to use it — but that strategy had the opposite effect:

"Consumers are not stupid. They know that something cannot be free forever."

Tigran Hakobyan, the senior software engineer at Netflix and the founder of Cronhub, had a similar experience. He switched from offering a free plan to three affordable plans for developers and teams, with custom packages for those who needed more. The impact was immediate:

"This decision led to growth into a sustainable side-project with a ~$1100 monthly recurring revenue."

In short, free products can sometimes be more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to attracting users. It's important to consider the potential downsides of offering a free plan and be transparent about your business model. As these examples from John Wheal and Tigran Hakobyan show, switching to affordable paid plans can lead to sustainable growth and revenue for your business.

It's also worth grandfathering existing free users, so they can still use the product for free. This will help to maintain a user base, which can be beneficial in the long run. And always remember, it's essential to evaluate feedback, assumptions and come with a better strategy that aligns with your business goals.

Comprehensive marketing strategy is a key

One of the biggest challenges after an MVP launch is putting together a comprehensive marketing strategy that will help you reach your target audience and generate leads. Kaloyan Yankulov, product creator and marketer who launched, marketed and sold his first SaaS HeadReach, used a combination of his 500-person email list, Facebook groups, and direct cold outreach to influencers in his industry. The personalized approach — long messages, custom videos — consistently outperformed broad campaigns:

"These efforts were highly effective and helped me generate leads quite quickly and for free."

The results were telling: in the first 24 hours, HeadReach achieved 15 paying customers, 20 lists, and around $400 in revenue. Kaloyan Yankulov adds: "While we underpriced our lists which ultimately cost us more money than we made in the validation process, as a side effect, one of the top SEO players hired me to create an outreach list for him which brought another $200 in revenue."

Overall, you can see that a well thought-out marketing strategy is essential to the success of an MVP launch. By using a combination of different channels and personalized messaging, the founder of HeadReach was able to generate leads and revenue quickly, which helped him validate the product and move forward with confidence.

Find someone to challenge your decisions

As an entrepreneur, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of scaling your project. But when it comes to developing a product, it can be hard to see the forest for the trees. Especially if you're the only person on the project. That's why having someone to challenge your decisions can be so valuable. John Wheal, founder of Grouphub, admits that even having advised other startups on creating MVPs, when it came to his own he found himself struggling:

"Even those of us who think we have it all figured out can benefit from a fresh perspective."

But it's not just about having someone to challenge your decisions, it's about having someone who can bring different expertise and viewpoints. A second opinion can help identify gaps in your thinking and can also help keep you accountable and on track.

So, don't be afraid to reach out to others for help. Whether it's a mentor, a colleague, or an advisor, having someone to challenge your decisions can be the key to taking your startup to the next level.

Pay people to solve a problem, not for a specific task

As entrepreneurs, we're always looking for ways to streamline our processes and maximize efficiency. But sometimes, our solutions can create more problems than they solve. John Wheal, founder of Grouphub, learned this the hard way — he started paying people to handle menial tasks that were cheaper to outsource than to build software for. But it created new bottlenecks: people were left waiting, writing instructions took longer than expected, and in some cases it would have been quicker to just do the task himself. The real realization was about decision-making power:

"Instead of paying someone for a specific task, I should have been paying them to solve a problem."

So, next time you're looking for a solution to a problem while scaling a product, take a step back and consider the bigger picture. Rather than outsourcing tasks, invest in a team that can help you solve problems and make smart decisions. It might just be the key to unlocking your startup's true potential. At Flexum, we've got a wealth of experience working with startups, and we're always happy to help out. If you've got a question or need some advice, don't hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We're here to assist you in any way we can.

Conclusion

Well, that's a wrap! Our journey through the best ways to make your MVP even better has come to an end. Hopefully, these real-life examples from startup founders will help you make your product developing easier and more successful. Cheers to your success, friend!

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