Hey there, I'm Dillon Hughes. For the past seven years, I've been a Project Manager at Evietek, where I've had the incredible opportunity to help build digital solutions from the ground up. I didn't start with a fancy degree in computer science; I learned on the job, figuring out what works and what doesn't, especially for startups trying to make their mark. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the power of a well executed Minimum Viable Product, or MVP.

Did you know the global SaaS market is projected to hit a mind blowing $1,016.44 billion by 2032? It's a massive field of opportunity! Yet, so many promising ideas fizzle out. Why? A common reason is that founders either build way too much or focus on the wrong things in their first product release. This is where a smart SaaS MVP strategy becomes your best friend. An MVP is not about launching an incomplete app; it's about launching the right app. It’s the simplest version of your software that solves a core problem for your initial users and allows you to gather critical feedback. This guide is my playbook, sharing practical insights on what to pour your resources into for your SaaS MVP, and just as vital, what to leave on the back burner for now. Let's get to it and build something your customers will genuinely value.

When you're building your first version, the goal isn't to dazzle with a dozen features. The real mission is to deliver immediate value and get users to that "aha!" moment where they see how your product solves their problem. Think of it as the foundation of a house. It needs to be solid, secure, and serve its primary purpose before you start thinking about the interior design.

• Core Functionality: This is the absolute heart of your product. It's the one thing it must do flawlessly. If you're creating a project management tool, that function is creating and managing tasks. For an invoicing app, it's generating and sending an invoice. Pinpoint the number one pain point you're solving for your target audience and dedicate your energy to building the single feature that addresses it head on. Everything else is secondary.
• User Authentication and Management: You need a secure and simple way for people to sign up, log in, and manage their basic account settings. This is a non negotiable trust signal. I’ve seen projects get bogged down here. Keep it simple. Offering social logins through platforms like Google can significantly reduce friction and make it easier for users to get started.
• A Simple, Intuitive User Interface (UI): Even a minimal product must be easy to navigate. A confusing or clunky interface is a surefire way to lose users before they even discover your product's value. You don't need a groundbreaking design for your MVP, but it must be clean, logical, and user friendly. The focus should be on making the core functionality effortless to use.
• Basic Analytics and Tracking: From the moment your first user signs up, you need to understand how they interact with your product. Integrating basic analytics is like giving your MVP a voice. It tells you which features are being used, where users are getting stuck, and what they're ignoring. This data is invaluable for making informed decisions on your product roadmap.
• A Clear and Compelling Value Proposition: This isn't a feature you code, but it's perhaps the most important element of your MVP. Your product must clearly and instantly communicate the unique value it provides. Why should a customer choose you? Your MVP needs to answer that question within the first few moments of use.

I've seen more startups fail from doing too much than too little. The single biggest trap in SaaS MVP development is "feature creep" the relentless temptation to add just one more cool thing. Every additional feature complicates your product, extends your development timeline, and makes it harder to get clear feedback on your core idea. Be ruthless in saying "not yet."

• Advanced or "Nice to Have" Functionality: If a feature isn't essential to solving that single, core problem, it doesn't belong in the MVP. This includes things like complex reporting dashboards, deep customization options, or extensive third-party integrations. You can build those later, once you’ve validated that people want your core solution.
• Complex Onboarding and Tutorials: A guided tour can be helpful, but a long, multi-step tutorial for an MVP is often a sign that the product itself isn't intuitive enough. Aim for a design that’s so straightforward users can understand it with minimal guidance. You can add more robust onboarding later as your product's complexity grows.
• Multiple Pricing Tiers: Your initial goal is to validate your business model, not optimize it. A single, clear pricing plan is all you need to see if customers are willing to pay for your solution. Introducing multiple tiers just complicates the decision for early adopters.
• In depth User Roles and Permissions: Unless your SaaS is specifically built for large teams with complex organizational charts from day one, you can almost certainly manage with a single user role. Advanced permissions add a significant layer of development complexity that is rarely needed at the start.
• Every Possible Integration: Integrations are powerful, but they are also a huge time sink. Trying to connect with every popular tool right out of the gate is a mistake. Instead, talk to your first users and identify the one or two key integrations that would provide the most immediate value.

Deciding what stays and what goes can feel overwhelming. The key is to remove emotion and use a structured approach. At Evietek, we rely on a few proven frameworks to guide our feature prioritization and ensure we’re building what matters most.

• The MoSCoW Method: This is a simple but powerful technique. Categorize every potential feature into one of four buckets: Must haves (non-negotiable for launch), Should haves (important but not vital), Could haves (desirable if time permits), and Won't haves (explicitly out of scope for this version). This forces you to be decisive.
• Feature Priority Matrix: This is a great visual tool. Plot each feature on a 2x2 matrix with "Effort" on one axis and "Impact" (or value to the user) on the other. Your top priorities are the high impact, low effort features. High impact, high effort features are next, and low impact items should be avoided.
• User Story Mapping: This collaborative exercise helps you visualize the entire user journey. You map out the steps a user takes to achieve their goal, and under each step, you list the specific actions or features required. This keeps the focus on the user's experience and helps identify the minimum path to success.
• Direct Customer Feedback: The best prioritization tool you have is your target audience. Don't build in a vacuum. Conduct interviews, run surveys, and have real conversations with potential users to deeply understand their biggest problems and what they would be willing to pay for. Their insights are more valuable than any internal brainstorming session.

Building a great SaaS MVP is as much about avoiding pitfalls as it is about choosing the right features. Even with a perfect plan, it's easy to get sidetracked. Here are some of the most common mistakes I’ve seen founders make over the years.

• Skipping Market Research: This is a fatal error. Never assume you know what your customers want. You must validate your core idea and understand the competitive landscape before you invest significant time and money into development. A solution in search of a problem is doomed to fail.
• Ignoring User Feedback: An MVP's primary purpose is to learn. If you launch your product and then fail to actively listen to your early users, you've missed the entire point. Create simple channels for feedback, whether it's a form, an email address, or direct conversations, and use those insights to guide every single update.
• Perfectionism: Your MVP should not be perfect. In fact, striving for perfection is a form of procrastination. The goal is to get a viable product into the hands of real users as quickly as possible to start that crucial feedback loop. Embrace the idea of launching something that's good enough to be valuable, not perfect.
• Neglecting a Go to Market Strategy: Building an amazing product is only half the battle. You also need a clear plan for how you’re going to find and attract your first users. Whether it's through content marketing, social media, or direct outreach, you need a strategy to get your MVP in front of the right people.

Building a successful SaaS MVP in 2025 is fundamentally an exercise in focus and discipline. By ruthlessly prioritizing your features and concentrating on solving one core problem exceptionally well, you can accelerate your time to market, significantly reduce your financial risk, and begin the all important process of learning from your users. It's easy to get caught up in the dream of a full featured product, but remember, your MVP is not the final chapter. It's the first sentence of what could be a great story. It's the solid foundation upon which you'll build something much bigger and more impactful. Now, take these insights, trust the process, and go build something amazing