Before you build a business, test the belief it’s based on.

Startups are built on assumptions: that people want your product, that they’ll pay for it, that it solves a real problem. The harsh reality? Many of these assumptions are wrong. An MVP Minimum Viable Product is how you find out which ones.

This guide walks you through the step-by-step process of building an MVP, the types of MVPs you can choose from, and how to execute them without draining your budget or wasting time. We also include a real Pakistani example to make this guide even more applicable. 

What Is an MVP?

A Minimum Viable Product is the most stripped-down version of your product that still allows you to:

• Solve a real problem for your user
  
• Deliver enough value that someone will use it
  
• Collect usable feedback to improve the next version
  

It’s not your first version, it’s your first test.

Think of it as an experiment. Your MVP doesn’t need to scale. It doesn’t need a UI. It needs to work just well enough to test whether the core value of your product is real.

Why You Should Build an MVP First

Before writing a single line of code or hiring a developer, ask:

• Is this a real problem?
  
• Do people care enough to pay or use a solution?
  
• Is my solution the one they want?
  

The MVP is how you answer these questions with evidence. It helps you:

• Avoid wasting months building the wrong thing
  
• Prioritize the right features early on
  
• Show traction to investors or partners
  
• Launch quickly and learn faster

To understand how this feeds into investor conversations, see How To Deliver the Right Pitch as a Startup Founder, which emphasizes traction and product-market fit in fundraising pitches

Step-by-Step: How to Build an MVP

Step 1: Define the Problem You’re Solving

Goal: Validate that the problem exists and matters to someone.

Ask yourself:

• What exact problem are we solving?
  
• Who experiences this problem most painfully?
  
• What are they doing to solve it today?
  

If you’re not clear on the problem, your MVP will miss the mark. Document the problem in one sentence, like:

“Middle-income parents in Islamabad struggle to find verified at-home tutors for their children.”

Step 2: Identify Your Riskiest Assumption

What’s the one assumption that, if false, makes your whole business collapse?

It could be:

• That people will use your app
  
• That they’ll trust your service
  
• That they’ll pay for it
  
• That your solution is better than alternatives
  

Your MVP should be designed to test that assumption first.

Step 3: Define the Core Functionality

What’s the smallest, simplest version of your product that can solve the problem?

Strip away every non-essential feature. Ask:

• What is the user trying to achieve?
  
• What’s the minimum experience needed to get them there?
  

For example, if you’re building a job-matching app:

• You don’t need to login, chat, or resume at first.
  
• You do need a way for job seekers to post a short profile and employers to reply.
  

Step 4: Choose Your MVP Format

You don’t need to write code to launch. Startups worldwide and in Pakistan use no-code MVPs.

MVP Types (with examples):

Pick the format that helps you test your riskiest assumption fast.

Step 5: Build the MVP Using Lightweight Tools

Build only what’s necessary using tools like:

• Landing Pages: Carrd, Notion, Webflow
  
• Forms & Data Capture: Google Forms, Tally, Typeform
  
• No-Code Apps: Glide, Softr, Bubble
  
• Automation: Zapier, Airtable, Make
  
• Prototypes: Figma, Marvel, Canva
  

You’re not building the final product. You’re testing whether it should exist.

Step 6: Test It with Real Users

Do not skip this.

Share your MVP with 10–20 people from your target audience. Get their reactions. Watch how they use it. Ask:

• What confused you?
  
• What was helpful?
  
• Would you use/pay for this?
  
• What would make this better?
  

You can use:

• Google Forms for structured feedback
  
• In-person or Zoom interviews for insight
  
• Screen recordings (with consent) to observe user behavior

Step 7: Log Insights and Iterate

Track everything:

• What users liked
  
• Where they dropped off
  
• What they misunderstood
  
• What they asked for
  

Use a Data Insights Tracker (Google Sheet) and a Retrospective Template to reflect with your team.

Then update your MVP or pivot entirely.

Case Study: Crumble Pakistan from Dorm Cookies to Gen Z brand Status

Founding:
Crumble began in 2020 as a GIKI dorm-room cookie stall run by students Agha Abdullah and Agha Usman as a way to test whether people would buy “cookiyan” that were fun, shareable, and memorable. They started small: a few dozen cookies, manual delivery, and nothing more.  

MVP Mindset in Action:

• Core Assumption: Gen Z in Islamabad and Rawalpindi would value not just good taste, but a brand personality one they could relate to and share with friends.
  
• MVP Format: What started as manual delivery and dorm-stall sales quickly evolved into a minimal operation: cookies baked, packed, and delivered primarily through manual systems and social media orders. No fancy app, no full kitchen, just product and personality.
   

Marketing as Validation:
Crumble built its MVP not around features, but around culture. Their Instagram became their experimental ground:

• Meme-led content
  
• Quirky banter 
  
• A mascot (“MeowBaksh”), viral props, and playful dialogue
  This wasn’t just content, it was a live test of whether people wanted to hang out with the brand. And they did, enthusiastically.
  

Growth Without Overbuild:
From a dorm-room launch, Crumble now boasts six outlets in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, with nationwide cold-chain delivery and corporate gifting services. All of this happened without external funding completely bootstrapped and profitable.
 

What We Can Learn:

• Build only what tests your assumption. Crumble’s MVP wasn’t about infrastructure, it was about testing whether people cared about attitude, humor, and community.
  
• Marketing isn’t an add-on, it’s part of the product. Their feed was the product for many Gen Z users, turning cookies into content.
  
• Scale only after validation. Once the MVP confirmed demand and loyalty, they expanded into multiple outlets and logistics services all at their own pace.
  

Why Crumble Pakistan Works as an MVP Lesson

Final Thought: Your MVP Is Not the Product It’s the Proof

You’re not building to impress investors, users, or even yourself. You’re building to learn the truth about the problem, the user, and your product’s place in the world.

A strong MVP doesn’t scream “look what I’ve built.” It quietly asks:
“Does this solve something real, for someone real?” If your MVP proves there’s an urgent need, and your solution clicks you’ve earned the right to build further. If it doesn’t, then it’s done its job by stopping you from pouring time, money, and energy into the wrong thing.

That’s not failure. That’s strategy.In the early stages, progress isn’t measured by features shipped or funds raised. It’s measured by insight gained and risk removed. So take the leanest path. Test loudly. Learn fast.
Because whether you pivot, iterate, or move forward your MVP makes sure you’re not building blind. Either way, you walk away with something every founder needs: clarity.
And in startups, clarity is a superpower.

FAQ