How to start with an MVP and choose your first version
By Youssef Salem HassanLead Software Engineer · LinkedIn
An MVP is the smallest version of your app that real users can use to do the main job. Pick one user, one problem and three to five flows, launch in weeks, then let usage decide what comes next.
What an MVP is (and is not)
An MVP is a real, working app that solves one problem well enough for people to use it. It is not a mock-up, and it is not a cheaper copy of the full product. It is the first version of the full product, built so it can grow.
Step 1: one user and one problem
If your app has customers and providers, pick the side that brings value first. Write the problem in their words: "I can’t find a trusted workshop near me" is a better start than "a car-services platform".
Step 2: three to five flows, nothing else
List the steps a user takes to get the job done, from opening the app to the result. Each step is a flow. Keep the ones without which the app is useless; move the rest (ratings, chat, referral codes, extra languages for content) to a "version two" list.
Step 3: build it so it can grow
Small does not mean throwaway. Use Flutter so one codebase covers Android and iOS, a clean structure so features can be added, and Arabic and English from day one. Osta started this way and reached 53 screens in 24 days without a rewrite.
Step 4: launch, then let usage decide
Put it in front of real users, watch where they stop, and talk to ten of them. The next version should fix what they actually hit, not what looked important on paper.
How much an MVP costs
My MVPs cost SAR 2,000–4,000 including release on Google Play and the App Store, or SAR 1,000–1,500 without store publishing, for a demo or an internal pilot. Typical time is 1–2 weeks, and the fixed price comes after a free 30-minute call.
Read the case study: Osta (أُسطى) — Car Services Marketplace →
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