MVP Projects Developed by Freelance Developers

Many founders have become more accustomed to hiring remote workers for their Minimum Viable Product (MVP) projects in the modern day. Founders often use freelance developers for their MVP projects based on their skillset and experience. 

There are independent contractors, which saves startups costs on their MVP development. Freelancing is also facilitated by the existence of platforms that facilitate working with freelancers. Examples of platforms where startup founders can find freelancers include Upwork, Fiverr, Toptal, MMT, and Golance.

What are MVP projects?

MVP projects are products that incorporate usable features to attract early users. Many companies use MVP projects in the early development stages since they are less costly and viable enough to validate a product idea.

Successful MVP Projects Developed by Freelance Developers

Next, let us look at two projects developed by freelancers, the challenges they encountered, how they solved them, and the outcomes:

Etsy

Etsy is an e-commerce platform that facilitates the buying and selling of handcrafted items. It was initially built as a website to sell vintage goods in 2005. The founders, Kalin, Tarbell, Schoppik, and McGuire, were freelance website builders. They launched an online community forum and noticed many people complaining about eBay’s fees, leading to the development of Etsy. Their model allowed people to create free accounts and sell their products.

A significant challenge faced was monetizing the platform since its model aimed to address consumer complaints about eBay. The burden of costs was placed on a percentage of every transaction and a small fee on every listing to deal with this problem. Sellers did not oppose this model since they integrated the cost into their selling price. By 2006, Etsy’s gross merchandise sales were $3.8 million compared to $170,000 in 2005.

Today, it is the biggest platform for selling handcrafted items. Etsy’s success story shows the importance of using MVP products to gather and incorporate consumer feedback to meet their needs.

Image by Markus Winkler via Pexels

AppSumo

AppSumo allows people to buy and sell digital products. The founder, Sumo Noah Kagan, developed the idea but had limited monetary resources. He talked to some entrepreneurs who agreed to place some ads for him. He also hired a freelance developer for $50 to build a website and add a PayPal button.

These features made the MVP product usable. Sumo faced the challenge of not having adequate resources to build and market his product. To address this problem, he sought a freelancer who agreed to his rate and contacted entrepreneurs to market his product for free. Today, the company has an annual revenue of $80 million. A key takeaway from AppSumo’s development is the importance of outsourcing, especially if you have limited resources.

Some freelancers have had great ideas that have eventually become the successful apps we know today. Founders have also worked with freelance developers to bring tech product ideas to life.

How to develop MVPs with the Help of Freelance Creators

Developing an MVP from a team of freelancers is neither easy nor straightforward. Once you decide to take the route of working with freelancers, you should be prepared for many challenges. This is because, to them, you are just another project. Hiring the right team is the first step, and the following are high-level milestones that should be followed to develop the MVP:

1. Prepare the list of customer needs and problems you want to solve and prioritize those needs.
2. Hire a product manager to develop the user journeys, user flows, and high-level MVP roadmap.
3. Hire a designer and work along with the product manager to develop the mock-ups and designs.
4. Work with the product manager to prioritize your MVP roadmap.
5. Hire a full-stack developer(s) and work with your product manager and designer to build your MVP.

Your team should share your vision for your MVP to ensure a seamless workflow.

Image by This Is Engineering via Pixabay

How to Choose the Right Freelance Developer for Your MVP

It is essential to choose the right freelance developer for your MVP project. Some approaches you can use when selecting a freelancer include:

• Evaluating skills and experience. You should go through the resumes of freelancers before hiring them. A resume gives you insight into the companies and individuals they have worked for and their years of experience. Going through resumes is a great way to choose possible candidates for your MVP project if you have a lengthy list of freelancers to choose from.
• Checking portfolios and case studies. Many freelancers have portfolios to showcase previous projects. Reviewing a resume is not enough if you want to work with a competent team. A portfolio is a form of evidence of the freelancer’s capability. Some freelancers also include case studies in their portfolios. A case study provides great detail on an existing problem and how to solve it in real life.
• Reading reviews and testimonials. You can also go through reviews about a freelancer to know more about their work ethic. Many platforms that facilitate freelancers allow people who work with them to leave reviews. These reviews will help you understand the quality of work a person produces. They can also provide insight into a freelancer’s personality, such as whether they are easy to work with and reliable.
• Conducting interviews and technical assessments. You should also interview freelancers before onboarding them to your MVP project. An interview will not only let you gain insight into their qualifications but also familiarize you with them. You can also conduct technical assessments tailored toward your project to determine whether a candidate is knowledgeable in specific areas.

You must know your freelance developers, their skills, and their experience before onboarding them to your team.

Why Hire Remote Developers for MVP Project Development?

Outsourcing jobs to freelance creators has become common in the modern day. Companies hire freelancers for the following reasons:

• Cost-effectiveness. Hiring freelancers is generally less costly than having regular employees. As seen in the case of AppSumo, you can find a freelancer to work with your current budget. It is efficient for startups to use freelancers since they are flexible with their rates. They can charge per hour or per project. Using freelancers will save your startup up to 30% annually on costs, even if they charge per hour. This is because they are independent contractors, and you don’t have to cater to costs such as health insurance and social security.
• Flexibility and scalability. Your MVP project will need many iterations during development. A freelancer can easily adapt to the needs of your project, whether you need to scale up or down.
• Access to specialized skills. We have platforms that connect you to freelancers. You can find freelancers with a unique set of skills and qualifications to meet your needs. Freelancers also need to build their clientele constantly. To do this, they keep up with industry trends, enhancing their expertise.
• Faster development time. Freelancers are independent contractors, which means that acquiring their clientele relies on reviews and referrals. To get good reviews, they have to put in their best work to maintain a good working relationship with clients. Thus, you can request a fast development time for your project. A freelancer can work extra hours to meet your required deadline and prove themselves as reliable to build a good relationship with you.

Hiring freelancers is beneficial due to savings on costs and access to specialized skills, which your in-house team sometimes lacks.

What are the Common Challenges in MVP Development by Freelance Developers?

Working with freelancers has become common, but it is not short of challenges. Common challenges of working with freelancers include:

• Communication barriers. We have many tools that facilitate communication between people despite their location. However, you can still encounter communication barriers in your MVP development. Some countries do not support tools that facilitate communication, for example, China limits the use of many Google services. You can also encounter communication barriers with your freelancers due to language and culture.
• Time zone differences. Working with freelancers means you can hire individuals from any location. You can have a team of freelancers from different time zones, creating challenges for your MVP project. For instance, a freelancer from the USA has a 14-hour difference with one from Australia. One team will have to adjust its schedule if the project needs to be harmonized.

Image by Pixabay

• Ensuring quality and consistency. Some freelancers work with many clients at once. Despite being highly qualified for your MVP project, taking too much work at once can affect the quality of their work. It can also influence their dedication and consistency to your project.
• Managing timelines and expectations. Since a freelancer is an independent contractor, they have no exclusive commitment to you. They can prioritize other projects over yours and fail to meet your agreed-upon deadlines.

The possible challenges of working with freelancers are why you should conduct a rigorous interview process before onboarding them to your team.

How to Overcome Challenges in MVP Development

You will encounter challenges at some point in your MVP development process. However, many solutions exist to help you overcome these challenges. They include:

• Establishing clear communication channels. The modern technological landscape facilitates many communication channels. You should find a communication tool that is easily accessible to both of you. For example, you can use Zoom for video call meetings if your freelancer is from China. You can also mitigate language barriers by finding freelancers you can understand.
• Using the right product and project management tools. Project management tools help you track the progress of your team. You can use these tools to address time zone differences. An example is GitHub, used by programmers at basic levels. It allows developers to make their contributions and track the progress of others. They can also do this at different times.
• Setting realistic deadlines and milestones. It is essential to ensure that your agreement with the freelancer is realistic. When setting a deadline, consider the weight of the project and set realistic milestones. Communicate with the freelancer if your project is too demanding and ensure they will accommodate your needs.
• Regular check-ins and updates. Regular check-ins and updates are necessary for the success of your MVP project. You can email the freelancer if you have any questions or require them to update you on something. You should also inform the freelancer to check in regularly and update you on the project’s progress. Some founders also have regular video call meetings with their freelancers to catch up and talk in detail about the project, since many changes will occur along the way.

In your MVP development journey, you need to analyze the challenge you are facing and find a solution that directly addresses it.

Best Practices for Successful MVP Development

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Bringing the right product to life is a complex process because you have no idea how consumers will receive it. Some practices that help you build a successful MVP include:

• Identifying and defining customer needs. You should have a proper grasp of your target consumers’ needs and pain points. This helps you and your team understand what the project aims to achieve.
• Hiring the right team. While working with freelancers can be challenging, you should ensure that you have the right team for your project. Your interview with freelancers should be rigorous so you can get a grasp of their potential and determine whether they are fit for your team.
• Prioritizing features and functionalities. The base function of using MVPs is to develop usable features that offer customer value. Your MVP should integrate essential features in the early stages. For example, the founder of AppSumo used a freelancer to incorporate a payment button since it was crucial for the project’s success. Your focus in the early stages should be solely on functionality because it saves on resources.
• Iterative development and feedback loops. MVP projects are essential for gathering user feedback. Iterative development based on user feedback helps you come up with a better product that offers greater customer value.
• Ensuring user testing and validation. An MVP developer should understand the experience consumers have with the product. The MVP can undergo rigorous testing and validation to make it more efficient for consumers.

Incorporating these practices into your MVP development process brings you a step closer to building a successful product.

Tools and Technologies for MVP Development

Depending on the type of tech product you are building, you will need various tools and technologies for your development process.

Popular programming languages and frameworks

• HTML and CSS.
• JavaScript.
• Python.
• C#.
• Java.
• Ruby.

Project management and collaboration tools

• Microsoft Teams.
• Google Workspace.
• ClickUp.
• Monday.com.
• Jira.
• MMT.work tool to manage planning and building MVP

Prototyping and design tools

• Figma.
• AdobeXD.
• Origami.
• InVision.
• Sketch.

It is essential to select tools and technologies that are most suitable for building your product since the development needs of every MVP differ.

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