MVP Agile development is terrific for startups because it allows you to test your product and market, engage with early consumers, and save a whole lot of money for other incoming enterprise initiatives.
Both business methodologies, it’s safe to say that Agile is the opposite of Waterfall. Whereas the first development cycle relies on iterative progress, the second relies on linear sequential phases.
To begin, the Waterfall approach isn’t advisable for MVP projects. In the context of up and coming businesses, here are reasons why Agile development wins:
Agile satisfies customer needs.
Also referred to as the Scrum methodology, the iterative development cycle demands that the minimum set of features needed to release an app be built in immediacy. As if establishing only the foundation of a software program, Agile immediately focuses on how potential users find an app. In other words, how the app progresses is based on received feedback, and only the parts that need tweaking are altered and improved.
In this methodology, the comments of customers are gathered and valued on the get-go.
Agile encourages development right away.
The Pareto principle proves to be very useful in this set-up. Known also as the 80/20 rule, here’s an idea you can ponder on:
At the MVP stage, prioritizing good-to-haves and nice-to-owns is a terrible idea. Because time and budget are crucial factors that dictate each other’s extents, you’re going to need to build the necessary in rapidity. Instead of exploring novel features you can integrate on an app, focusing only on the fundamentals is a wiser move, especially when running a startup.
That being said, the Pareto 80-20 principle is an apparent practice in this setting. Whether the percentage you follow is 30-70 or 90-10, building the essentials and getting them out of the way helps you figure out what delivers the best outcomes and what brings in the most money immediately.
Once you sort all of that out, you can already launch your product.
Agile offers a humanized timetable.
Agile development fosters a reasonable timetable that’s divided into phases. Developers usually take on only a few features and then launch whatever is completed. Naturally, whatever needs fixing will be remedied, and marketing plans can vary depending on how each sprint turns out.
Agile encourages flexibility.
Contrary to Waterfall, Agile development zeroes in on improving what needs to be built without spending unnecessary amounts of cash. Whereas Waterfall may nurture an environment where devs race to finish a feature solely because that’s what’s expected in certain stages, Agile extends a lot more freedom. Each iteration calls for one to deliver, gather feedback, and then change what needs to be changed.
It’s a more organic cycle that feeds off of authentic reactions from a sure market.
Agile develops transparency.
Because Agile development relies on constant feedback, devs are more likely to be transparent with every single detail. From an entrepreneur’s perspective, that means you’re more involved in every step of the way. Whereas Waterfall only calls for your steady presence when it comes to marketing and sales, Agile requires that business leaders and startup heads are immersed in the project all the way.
From backlog prioritization to UI/UX decisions, leaders and business heads always know exactly what’s up.
Agile helps save money.
It isn’t uncommon for founders to later find out that their target market has discovered an alternative—sometimes better—solution to the problem they’re trying to solve. When this happens, entrepreneurs have more space and liberty to pivot. Because feedback is more frequent in this setting, leaders don’t have to wait for half a year to launch. As such, money isn’t wasted on building an app that may soon be irrelevant.
Furthermore, if entrepreneurs realize late that their target market resorts to solutions other than what they initially offered, they also have more creative freedom to go back to the drawing board and create a new product from scratch.
Agile isn’t a band-aid solution.
Many tenured and traditional developers argue that Agile development is a silver bullet, but it’s not. It’s merely one effective strategy to get a product idea rolling. As with many studied methodologies in tech, there are also risks entrepreneurs need to be aware of with Agile.
For instance, the lack of documentation makes it harder for new developers to get on board a project. What’s more, a quick turnover of developers doesn’t benefit the project in that you’re going to want to work with the same people who started the project from beginning to end. The last thing you’d want is to keep repeating what an app is about to multiple new heads in a team.
Although not an all-encompassing guarantee, Agile works best for developers who are all in one location. Frequent discussions and meetings all call for continuous communication that’s best practiced in person. Otherwise, neophyte developers and new hires will have a difficult time adjusting.
All in all, Agile is a way of thinking and not a one-time solution tool. Developers and entrepreneurs can’t decide to take on the Agile approach in a snap just because they attended a workshop or skimmed an e-book. To make it work, you’re going to need to partner with a team that’s used to the process. Are you looking for a tech agency to help you build your app? Call us, and we’ll make it happen.
