Making your first iOS app can be intimidating, as it may seem as if it involves extensive logistics and requires an extensive IT department. More and more businesses looking to create their first iOS app are finding viable alternatives to large-scale builds via MVP apps. This pared down approach to app development can offer your SMB a way in which to establish your market fit without a significant upfront investment.

How to go the MVP route

MVPs are Minimum Viable Product apps, meaning they leverage only core and necessary features in their tech stack. As an example, a social media app might require User Authentication, a Timeline, a Message interface and so on. Your MVP would provide you with that and only that. Think of it as the “soft launch” to the app space.

Finding your fit in the market

Ideally, your first step is establishing what market fit you can achieve with your MVP app. The irony of MVP, of course, is that launching an MVP in the first place is a way to test the market and find market fit. With its minimal feature set, short time to launch and moderate budget, an MVP build allows you to test run your iOS app idea before going all in.

Gather your customer feedback and data points, then reassess and see how you can scale up as needed as your project evolves. Use this opportunity to determine whether your iOS solution is the right answer for your target market by showing your ideal user how your app stands out in its space.

Planning and budgeting

In the past, planning and budgeting for app development was a nightmare of logistics. The development stage alone could take multiple months, while budgets ran in the high five figures, if not six.

Recent developments in the app build space have created a much more manageable process. Options such as Builder.ai, for example, allow you to scale your app development project to a specific budget or timeline and automatically rescale the tech stack to suit. This way, you get the MVP that fits your realities without scrambling to keep up with an ever-escalating build.

Building an app with Builder

The process for building an iOS app in Builder is quite straightforward. As a starting point, you can select from a large library of existing app templates based on some of the leading apps out there, including Uber, Instagram, Airbnb and more. This template contains the core tech stack needed for your iOS MVP app, but you can still customize from there. Add features in if you need or take them out if you prefer. You can also request customized features, if you cannot find the right feature for your app. Finally, a budget slider and timeline slider allow you to edit your tech stack instantly to fit your needs.

The company also offers ongoing maintenance for your iOS app via Builder Care. As any Apple fan knows, there are regular and frequent updates in iOS; Builder Care constantly updates the core component of your tech stack so that you can stay on top of updates and continue to deliver a high-performing app to your users.

iOS users are always hungry for more, and your business can take advantage of that with the right iOS app. With the advent of MVP app development, too, you can test the market out before launching a large-scale product. Do you have your own tips and tales of developing in the iOS or MVP spaces? Let us know in the comments below.