Growth Hypothesis in MVP

Introduction to Growth Hypothesis in MVP

When you build a minimum viable product (MVP), you want more than just a working app. You want to know if your idea can grow and attract users. That’s where the growth hypothesis comes in. It helps you focus on how your product can gain users and expand over time.

Understanding the growth hypothesis means you can test your assumptions early. This saves time and money by showing what works and what doesn’t before you build a full product. Let’s explore how this concept fits into MVP development and why it matters for your startup or project.

Defining Growth Hypothesis

The growth hypothesis is a clear statement about how your product will attract and keep users. It predicts the main way your product will grow. This could be through word of mouth, paid ads, partnerships, or viral sharing.

For example, if you create a social app, your growth hypothesis might be that users will invite friends because they enjoy sharing content. This hypothesis guides what features you build first and what you measure.

• Focus: How users find and keep using your product.
• Testable: You can measure if your growth method works.
• Actionable: It helps decide what to build and improve.

Importance of Growth Hypothesis in MVP

Including a growth hypothesis in your MVP is crucial. It shifts your focus from just building features to building growth. Without it, you might create a product that works but doesn’t attract users.

By testing your growth hypothesis early, you learn which channels or strategies bring users. This helps you avoid wasting resources on ideas that don’t scale. It also helps you prioritize features that support growth.

• Validates your business model early.
• Helps attract investors with clear growth plans.
• Guides marketing and product decisions.

How to Formulate a Growth Hypothesis

Creating a strong growth hypothesis involves understanding your target users and how they discover products like yours. Here’s a simple way to formulate it:

• Identify your target audience: Who will use your product?
• Choose a growth channel: How will they find your product? (e.g., referrals, ads, SEO)
• Define the growth mechanism: What action will cause growth? (e.g., sharing, repeat visits)
• Set measurable goals: What metrics will show growth? (e.g., user sign-ups, shares)

For instance, a no-code tool like bubble might hypothesize that growth will come from developers sharing templates. So, their MVP would focus on making template sharing easy and track how often users share.

Examples of Growth Hypothesis in No-Code MVPs

Many no-code platforms use growth hypotheses to guide their MVPs. Here are some examples:

• Glide Apps: Hypothesized that users would grow by sharing apps with friends. Their MVP focused on easy sharing and tracking invites.
• Make (Integromat): Believed growth would come from users automating workflows and recommending to colleagues. Their MVP emphasized collaboration features.
• Zapier: Tested if users would grow by connecting popular apps and sharing workflows. The MVP prioritized integrations and sharing options.

These examples show how growth hypotheses shape MVP features and testing priorities.

Testing and Validating Your Growth Hypothesis

Once you have a growth hypothesis, you need to test it with your MVP. Here’s how you can do that effectively:

• Build only essential features: Focus on what supports your growth channel.
• Measure key metrics: Track user acquisition, retention, and sharing rates.
• Collect user feedback: Understand why users share or don’t share.
• Iterate quickly: Adjust your product based on data and feedback.

For example, if your hypothesis is that users will invite friends, track invite clicks and sign-ups from invites. If numbers are low, explore why and improve the experience.

Leveraging no-code tools to Test Growth Hypotheses

No-code platforms make it easier to build and test growth hypotheses fast. You don’t need to write complex code, so you can focus on learning.

Here are some ways no-code tools help:

• bubble: Quickly build interactive MVPs with sharing features.
• Glide: Create mobile apps that users can share instantly.
• Make and Zapier: Automate growth-related workflows like sending invites or onboarding emails.
• Google Analytics and Mixpanel: Integrate easily to track user behavior and growth metrics.

Using these tools, you can test different growth channels and see what works without heavy investment.

Conclusion

The growth hypothesis is a powerful tool when building an MVP. It helps you focus on how your product will attract and keep users, not just on features. By testing this hypothesis early, you save time and resources.

Using no-code tools, you can quickly build MVPs that test your growth ideas. This approach lets you learn fast and improve your product to match real user needs. Remember, a strong growth hypothesis guides your path to a successful, scalable product.