seetha_mvp_droidcon_slides.pdf

We all have great ideas, but as developers, we have a tendency to spend more time on building apps than on iterating by sitting down with users. Building an Android app before using rapid prototyping methods to really figure out your MVP can be a lot of wasted time in the long run. You might end up building a beautiful app, but you still may not be able to satisfy your users. Worse, you could ruin your startup’s brand and make users disinterested in your future products.

Rapid prototyping, refining your idea, and iterating with ample user feedback will allow you to build a great app incrementally, and keep your users engaged.

I launched my own startup a few years ago, and through lessons learned, built out a method to keep prototyping and development of app in balance. With my team, I fine-tuned the art of mapping a user’s mindset and figuring out how to build prototypes to get user feedback quickly. I then took these lessons and helped other local startups to build prototypes quickly and launch their MVPs.

In this talk, you’ll learn about the steps involved in taking your idea to MVP stage while building Android apps. We will cover specific tools, methods, and processes for figuring out your idea’s market fit, engaging users, and building out your MVP.

Transcript

1. Beyond The Code: Lessons on Building Your Android Minimum Viable Product Seetha Annamraju @seetha_a
2. @seetha_a Do you have an idea?
3. @seetha_a Are you an Android Developer?
4. @seetha_a
5. @velosmobile !5
6. @seetha_a Successful Startups 1. Spend a lot of time with their users
7. @seetha_a Successful Startups 1. Spend a lot of time with their users 2. Design experiments to test assumptions
8. @seetha_a Successful Startups 1. Spend a lot of time with their users 2. Design experiments to test assumptions 3. Create rapid prototypes by leveraging existing technologies
9. @seetha_a Successful Startups 1. Spend a lot of time with their users 2. Design experiments to test assumptions 3. Create rapid prototypes by leveraging existing technologies
10. @seetha_a YOU
11. @seetha_a THE WHY
12. @seetha_a Develop Empathy for Users
13. @seetha_a Confidence
14. @seetha_a More Resourceful
15. @seetha_a Build Something You Care About
16. @seetha_a Use What You Learn
17. @seetha_a THE PROCESS
18. @seetha_a Idea-Market-Fit Design Experiments Mindset Maps MVP The Process
19. @seetha_a Idea-Market-Fit Timeline: 0 to Infinity
20. @seetha_a Idea-Market-Fit “Do people really care about what I’m building?”
21. @seetha_a Idea-Market-Fit 80%
22. @seetha_a Pro-tip: Don’t start with a solution.
23. @seetha_a “Wouldn’t it be cool if there was an app that could…”
24. @seetha_a “Wouldn’t it be cool if there was an app that could…”
25. @seetha_a 1. Identify the problem Idea-Market-Fit
26. @seetha_a Idea-Market-Fit 1. Identify the problem 2. Identify target users
27. @seetha_a Idea-Market-Fit 1. Identify the problem 2. Identify target users 3. Identify competitors
28. @seetha_a Idea-Market-Fit Steps 1. Identify the problem 2. Identify target users 3. Identify competitors
29. @seetha_a Identify the Problem E.g. Health-conscious customers find it hard to know what’s in their food while eating out.
30. @seetha_a Identify target users • Health-conscious • Busy • 18-40 years old
31. @seetha_a Identify the competition • Company A • Company B • Company C
32. @seetha_a Possible Solution App that shows nutritional information for dishes at restaurant (calories + ingredients)
33. @seetha_a STOP
34. @seetha_a Design Experiments Timeline: few days to few weeks
35. @seetha_a Hypotheses List 1. Users will want to see nutritional information 2. Restaurants will give us information about their dishes or input it on their own.
36. @seetha_a Test Hypothesis 1 Users will want to see nutritional information Sample: 100 users Pass rate: 80%
37. @seetha_a Test Hypothesis 2 Restaurants will give us information about their dishes or input it on their own. Sample: 10 restaurants Pass rate: 60%
38. @seetha_a Hypotheses List 1. Users will want to see nutritional information 2. Restaurants will give us information about their dishes or input it on their own. 3. Users will check in to restaurants 4. Users will post reviews
39. @seetha_a Mindset Maps Timeline: once every iteration
40. @seetha_a Mindset Maps Helps to figure out features for MVP
41. @seetha_a 1. The user wants to eat out. Mindset Map
42. @seetha_a 1. The user wants to eat out. Mindset Map
43. @seetha_a 1. The user wants to eat out. 2. The user reaches the restaurant, and needs to figure out what to eat. Mindset Map
44. @seetha_a 1. The user wants to eat out. 2. The user reaches the restaurant, and needs to figure out what to eat. Mindset Map
45. @seetha_a 1. The user wants to eat out. 2. The user reaches the restaurant, and needs to figure out what to eat. 3. The user wants to share their experience. Mindset Map
46. @seetha_a 1. The user wants to eat out. 2. The user reaches the restaurant, and needs to figure out what to eat. 3. The user wants to share their experience. Mindset Map
47. @seetha_a MVP Features 1. Load list of restaurants near me. 2. Once user reaches restaurant, show dishes with reviews and nutritional information. 3. Allow user to share experience.
48. @seetha_a Building The MVP Timeline: few weeks to few months
49. @seetha_a Static Prototyping • Start with a paper prototype / InvisionApp / proto.io • OR Static Android Prototypes
50. @seetha_a Design/User Experience • UI != UX • Think out loud testing • Let user drive app
51. @seetha_a Android Prototyping • Write good code, but don’t over- engineer. • Keep components modular.
52. @seetha_a Backend • Pick a well-supported backend if possible. • e.g. Firebase for real-time abilities • e.g. AWS for scale/ security
53. @seetha_a • Chicken and egg problem • Can you seed data? • Fiverr / Upwork Data
54. @seetha_a Security/Privacy • Can make or break user’s trust • Use existing trusted frameworks • How are you dealing with sensitive data?
55. @seetha_a Analytics • How is your app doing? • Understand retention
56. @seetha_a Post MVP Timeline: few weeks
57. @seetha_a Post MVP • Release to closed environment • Roll out incrementally • ProductHunt, Betalist, HackerNews • Your original target users
58. @seetha_a Recap • Idea-Market fit • Sit down with users / Gain insights • Mindset maps • Prototypes • Build MVP
59. @seetha_a If you’re not solving a real problem, code doesn’t matter.
60. @seetha_a References • invisionapp.com • proto.io • producthunt.com • betalist.com • news.ycombinator.com • The Startup Owner’s Manual, Bob Dorf and Steve Blank seetha.io
61. Beyond The Code: Lessons on Building Your Android Minimum Viable Product Seetha Annamraju @seetha_a