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MVPMay 20, 20266 min read
MVP: How to Validate an Idea Without $20K and Six Months of Dev
Startups often build too much too soon. What actually belongs in an MVP, 2–6 week timelines, and budgets from $1200.
An MVP isn't a 'rough version of everything.' It's the smallest feature set that validates your hypothesis: will people pay, come back, and understand the value?
What belongs in an MVP
- One core value proposition (one job-to-be-done)
- Sign-up / login (only if you can't test without it)
- One payment flow or waitlist
- Basic event analytics
- Admin panel or manual process where automation isn't critical yet
What doesn't belong in an MVP
- Ten user roles
- Complex billing with upgrades and tiers
- iOS + Android apps at the same time
- Pixel-perfect 'Apple-level' design
- Integrations with every CRM 'for the future'
If you can do it manually for the first two weeks — don't automate it in the MVP.
Timeline and budget
Simple SaaS MVP (landing + dashboard + one feature) — 2–6 weeks, from $1200–$2000. Heavier scope (marketplace, video, AI) — from $5000, up to 8–12 weeks. Exact estimate after 1–2 hours of discovery.
How to know the MVP worked
- Real payments or meaningful waitlist signups
- Users return without reminders
- You know exactly which single feature to build next
- Unit economics at least roughly make sense
"An MVP is a way to fail fast and cheap — not a way to ship half a product."