Software Outsourcing | Give Birth to Your MVP in 9-Months

Could agile software development help you launch a new minimum viable product in 9-months or less?

Launching a new business website or software product should never be rushed. Neither, though, should it take an eternity to get minimum viable products off the ground. Many businesses, therefore, use Agile software development methodologies to bring products to market faster, and for a higher return on investment.

What is a minimum viable product (MVP)?

A minimum viable product (MVP) is a concept from Lean Startup that stresses the impact of learning in new product development. Eric Ries, defined an MVP as that version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort. This validated learning comes in the form of whether your customers will actually purchase your product.

A key premise behind the idea of MVP is that you produce an actual product (which may be no more than a landing page, or a service with an appearance of automation, but which is fully manual behind the scenes) that you can offer to customers and observe their actual behavior with the product or service. Seeing what people actually do with respect to a product is much more reliable than asking people what they would do.

What is Agile?

Agile software development combines several development methodologies with a streamlined and disciplined development process. Central to this process is the division of projects into small tasks which are accomplished in stages called Sprints.

Agile Software Development Benefits

- The Agile development cycle focuses on cost predictability and expedited project delivery.

- Agile software development lowers overall costs by pairing fixed development schedules with the iteration of key development processes.

- Every Agile development cycle offers project stakeholders multiple opportunities to be directly involved with every step of the development process.

By involving stakeholders with the development process, Agile software development improves the quality of final deliveries. This is thanks to the fact that projects always meet client expectations. Should this not be the case, this can be addressed in the very earliest stages of the Agile development cycle.

How to use Agile to Launch a new MVP in 9-Months or Less

Agile software development is more than just a way to fast-track software product launches. Major brands like Microsoft and IMB use Agile methodologies to streamline their own development processes.

How Should You be using Agile?

If you are a startup or small to medium-sized business, you will likely want to pair the benefits of Agile software development with the cost savings of outsourcing a project.

Typically, Agile methodologies work best when they are applied in-house. However, outsourcing is possible. The key is to look for a software development company who apply Agile methodology to their working process.

- Never outsource to or hire individuals. Always outsource to an Agile team with verifiable credentials.

- Clearly define your project brief. When outsourcing to Agile teams, there is a higher risk of project outlines being misinterpreted or interpreted too literally.

- Only work with Agile teams or software development companies who pride themselves on flexibility.

Get Ready to Scrum

Scrums are a key component of the Agile software development process. During a scrum, agile development teams and project stakeholders meet virtually or in-person to discuss project details. Scrums, therefore, ensure that every development Sprint achieves stakeholder goals.

As a stakeholder, you will need to be prepared to participate in scrums to discuss each stage of the development process and provide feedback.

Agile Scrum and Development Tools

Scrums during the Agile development cycle are made possible via software-based collaboration tools. At present, collaboration tools favored by Agile developers include Asana, Slack, and Atlassian Jira.

In many cases, existing Agile teams will have a preferred choice of collaboration tool. It is, therefore, important that stakeholders familiarize themselves with tools teams prefer using.

Outline Your Project Goal and Expected Delivery Schedule

During initial scrums, it is imperative that you outline your project expectations.

As long as you can clarify your expectations, projects will be more likely to be delivered on time, on budget, and in-line with your project vision. The key throughout the Agile development cycle is to be directly involved in every Sprint and bring to light potential deviations from your project vision as and when these arise. As a conclusion not all MVP will take 9 months to develop because it depends of the type of the project and the complexity involved.