What is the Minimum Awesome Product? Know How MAP is Replacing MVP

We have heard so many times that time flies.  Well, an innovation of the minimum awesome product has proved it in actual terms.  What customers need was important till yesterday, but what attracts the customer and what retains the customer for a long time is more important today.  Isn’t it?  That’s why minimum viable products are not enough anymore.  Because how quickly market changes is hard to assume, especially in this digital era where every product from the necessity to luxury items are available online in looms.  So, in that case, giving an awesome experience is more than necessary, despite giving just minimally viable products.   

So, if you want to hold your customers for a long period, keep reading this article.  It explains topics such as what is the minimum awesome product and how and why you should develop the MAP instead of MVP. 

Owning a start-up, it can take months or sometimes years to develop a new product or service.  MVP (Minimum viable product) concept, however, popularized by Eric Ries, is an easy to go approach for every business and start-up.  Develop just essential features and workflows for product development to satisfy early customers – that is the idea of MVP.  Now imagine, you spent months and years in product creation and when you test it among selected users, only to know that your product is not capable of retaining your customer.  No, I don’t want to scare you.  But this is the reality of so many new entrants in the market which you must not ignore.

Does it mean the MVP has died?  No, it has not.  Minimum viable product, of course, helps you to consider the needs of the customer, but like we mentioned, MVP is just not enough.  Because life has meaning beyond needs.  Therefore, the minimum awesome product (MAP) had to come into existence.

What is the Minimum Awesome Product?

The minimum awesome product (MAP) is the concept utilized in the lean development methodology and is specifically to test product hypothesis in the company background. 

To be more precise, the MAP is basically MVP with an awesome effect.  The product that has been created with minimal functionalities referring to MVP, but also provides excellent elements that make customers say, ‘Awesome!’  That’s an MAP for you.    

When you look at the larger definition, MAP is definitely beyond just releasing products with only enough user-friendliness.  It tends to deliver something more comfortable than normal familiarity.  Whether I had to quote the MAP in simplified words, MAP is an extension of MVP, and a manner of preventing MVP from being too ‘minimal.’

Does it mean MAP is just another process level of MVP? Or is it entirely replacing MVP?  Well, that completely depends on you.  For better understanding, let us guide you through the steps of how to create an MAP so you can provide your clients with an amazing interface.

For better understanding between the two concepts here is a representation bifurcating them.

How to Build the Minimum Awesome Product?

Certainly, there are two ways to build a product (MAP) for your business.

1. Convert Existing MVP into MAP

   If you have developed MVP in the form of an application, a landing page/homepage, or a video for your business in the first place, you can still convert it into MAP by adding lots of unique alternatives.  Only if those options make your MAP > MVP.  For example, if your MVP is X, your MAP has to be more than X or better be 2X in terms of quality excellence.  

   So, how can you convert MVP into MAP?

   • Add a catchy UX/UI design to your existing mobile application for better user experience.
   • Add a chatbot software system or create a chat application, like Facebook Messenger, Slack, LinkedIn, etc. 
   • Make sure your application is user friendly so that people don’t have to put a lot of effort to access it. 
   • Add an awesome effect in the form of unique features with the help of the Internet of Things (IoT) – don’t go extreme though – minimal is still the key. 
   • Integrate security functions into the application. 
   • Make sure to meet the expectations of users.
   • Provide information with the help of social media i.e, newsletter, images, post, email-voices, text messages, ads, etc. 

   Remember, if your alternative options are not that ‘Awesome’, your MAP is still MVP. 

2. Build MAP From Scratch

   If you are yet to build any product, you can kick start your business by building new product MAP from scratch and build a platform to sustain your business.  For it, follow these below- mentioned simple steps. 

   Step 1. Know Your Audience

   It is the first step in creating a product MAP towards your business direction.  To be informed of the needs of business and customers, you need to carry out numerous analyses.  What will you analyze, though?

   • Know the preferences of your value-clients and what they need from you. 
   • Investigate if the market where you intend to manufacture similar products already exists.
   • Watch out your competitors. 

   But, is it really possible to analyze all of these things without one to one survey?  Yes.  There are a variety of resources on the market that can help you evaluate your rival’s website and phone applications, and help you gain insights into their site traffic and search engine.  This typically includes – traffic sources sight, website or application rating, consumer location, social media engagements, and other information on the internet. 

Step 2. Have an Idea

You need to address a ton of questions after you understand your audience, like, 

• What’s your goal right now? 
• Will it help consumers create a better future for themselves? If yes, how?
• Will your MAP make a difference for the company? If so, how? 
• How will consumers be able to access your MAP? 
• What will be the cost?

Address all of these concerns and you’ll get clear mobile app ideas to develop the minimum awesome product that can help you endure your company sector.

Step 3. Select Design Process and User Flow

Convenience – that’s what you and the designer need to hold in mind when choosing the app interface and design processes.  So, once you get an idea, look at the application from beginning to the final step from customers’ perspectives.  Analyzing the perspective of your clients will help you choose a suitable design method.  Precisely, to define the main user flow you should first define process stages and it is very simple as you just need to keep in mind the primary vision and keep focusing on basic tasks.  

Step 4. Decide MAP Features

The most critical step that can make or break your MAP.  So, make sure to list out all the features that are reasonably worthy to draw the consumers and give them an awesome user experience, and not just those features you want to incorporate because you feel like having.  It also helps assist in business process automation as you integrate features and systems for repetitive tasks.  But, the minimum approach still needs to be followed, so choose minimum features that provide the minimum viable experience (MVE). 

When you create a list, prioritize and categorize each feature, according to the needs of users.  Then, you can define the scope of each feature to check whether it is awesome or not.  If this ties in with customers’ needs and preferences, build an MAP proto-type and test how it operates.  If it doesn’t, make a new list and follow through again.

Step 5. Build, Measure, and Improve

Now, it’s time to take action.  After you’ve completed all of the research, question and answer, templates, and designs, you can start to develop your own app for your business.  Because that’s what we all focused for, right?  But is it the end?  No.  When you are completed developing your MAP application, it needs to be measured.  The quality control engineer needs to perform the test process – to ensure the accuracy of the product iteration before the release.  If the quality assurance experts consider the output is good enough to market it, then your MAP will be ready for Alpha and Beta testing. 

What are Alpha testing and Beta testing? 

• Alpha testing is a product test to a limited group.  You can consider a limited group as friends, family, relatives, etc.  
• Beta testing is a real-world evaluation of a product.  Your MAP is ready for Beta testing after the product completes Alpha testing successfully.

If any issue occurs while conducting the test or if it doesn’t pass the test successfully, you can always improve the MAP based on the requirements.  But, do not stop after the improvement.  Test it again.  That’s the rule to succeed. 

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However, if you are still confusing MAP with MVP, let’s clear all differences. Scroll down.

What is the Difference Between MVP and MAP? (MVP vs. MAP)

MVP (What is MVP?)	MAP (What is MAP?)
1. MVP is a product with essential functionalities to satisfy the initial customers.	1. MAP is an agile MVP with an awesome effect to give a better customer experience.
2. MVP provides service + features.	2. MAP provides service + features + ease + speed + security + design.
3. Product MVP is a great way to ask for the feedback and references from customers.	3. MAP is a great way to make your go to market successful.
4. MVP validates your market idea.	4. MAP validates the market idea + build the brand image.
5. MVP is a less costly solution as it doesn’t possess many features.	5. MAP costs a bit more, but technically a perfect solution.
6. MVP is the initial stage of product development and not a complete product.	6. MAP can be considered a semi finished product or finished product, depending on the social network need.
7. MVP is the oldest and best known concept.	7. MAP is often considered the evolution of MVP.
8. MVP reduces the business risk.	8. MAP may possess small risk.
9. MVP is the quickest medium to launch a product.	9. MAP can take a slightly more time than MVP.
10. MVP is a way to go approach when you are introducing a novel product or a new category product.	10. MAP benefits when you try to offer alike products with better ideas.

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Why is MAP Rising and Replacing MVP?

When Frank Robinson defined the term MVP, and Steve Blank and Eric Ries popularized it, there was a kind of rush to follow all the rules given by the book ‘Lean Startup.’  which was also needed at a time as developers and business owners often used to get trapped in the development process and fine-tuning certain aspects of their outcome as they wanted it to be helpful.   

But, as we know, the apps market changes quickly and every day hundreds of thousands of applications are launched on a regular basis so the users’ demand also increases.  So, in this situation, having an app helpful is just not enough.  

Why? 

Because, when a user downloads the app for business and if it does not possess the expected usable quality, the customer will delete your app in a second.  They don’t think much and will find another application.  

This isn’t it, though.  The key problem with viable product MVP is it solely focuses on the main functionality of the app and doesn’t pay attention to the outlook, design, and ease of access.  Moreover, most of you focus on ‘minimum’ and not enough on ‘viable.’  So, you need to put enough amount of time into considering what your consumers want from a minimum viable experience.

That’s why MAP is one of your best solutions as it provides ease, security, and better usability in comparison to MVP.  So, technically it is not wrong to phrase that MAP is replacing MVP in a broader context.  

See, this doesn’t mean that MVP is a wrong choice.  It can lead your company in the market, but only if there is a little less rivalry or something completely different is introduced.  But for current segment items, if consumers don’t get the perfect experience, the MVP product idea won’t run for a long time.  Why?  Because there are already subset parameters of expectations for existing product categories.  Thus, meeting those expectations only with MVP is a challenge. 

Not only that, developing an MVP will just reduce production expenses for a large degree of competition in the target industry, but with the MAP as you enter the market, you will overdo current applications with convincing UX and the function of your MVP use cases.  

Therefore, when developing a new digital product, do not ask how it solves the problem in a minimal way.  But ask yourself how the product inspires the people with minimum effort.  This eventually means – you are already different from your competitors with the first version of your MAP. 

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FAQ

1. What is an MVP?

   A minimum viable product (MVP) is an addition of a commodity with only minimal functionality to attract early buyers and feedback on the growth of the product. The basic objectives of MVPs involve being able to determine the concept of a limited-capital project, speed up production, minimize wasted hours of work, ease certain businesses and increase the ability of companies to deliver the product needed.

2. What comes before MVP?

   NVP. No Viable Product. It comes after the business model base and before an MVP. You are supposed to shape a marketing plan out of your business board and it will be then included in the various assumptions to justify the point – that is your NVP. Then you are ready to sell your NVP to everyone, especially to your focused early adopters, and sell your products to gain better results and money.

3. What is the next stage after MVP?

   The next move after the introduction of MVP into the market is to continue data collection. This is, in fact, critical since customers’ choices and feedback can help you split or build the product’s future platforms. After selling your MVP, you get to learn precisely how the incorporated functions are relevant to customers.

4. What does the minimum viable product mean?

   A minimum viable product has been derived from lean startups. That totally underlines the role that the learning aspect plays in developing innovative products. MVP, in basic words, helps an organization to collect the most verified consumer data and expectations with the minimum effort. This market analysis will then rise to the result if consumers are likely to buy the product.

5. What is MAP?

   MAP refers to the minimum awesome product. It is the new product development in the business with the minimum functionalities which are capable of providing an awesome experience to users. MAP has replaced MVP in almost all aspects as MAP is capable of presenting a better interface, designed with all the functionality that is required to evaluate the new concept for the company.

6. Will MAP replace MVP?

   We aim to draw the attention of the users with the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). And in most cases, by proposing a product that isn’t attractive, intuitive and doesn’t meet basic standards for its category, we can’t do it efficiently. Therefore, a minimum awesome product is introduced that is capable of giving a great experience, in terms of quality, designs, ease of access and much more. So, MAP is more than MVP in a nutshell and can be replaced at a time.

Conclusion

Developing an MVP app is the quickest way to launch a product if entrepreneurs lack time in the world of smartphones, but an MAP is a way to make a go-to-market success in a short span of time.  Not only that, this blog outlined that MAPs are the perfect option for a company involved in managing expenses to offer quality products.  So, now when you realize what exactly goes into an MAP, claps.  Because you’re all set for your customers to get your team started on the production.  So build your MAP application today by an app development company.  For any query regarding MAP app development, feel free to contact us and we will get back to you at the earliest.