Bootspring
HomeGet Started

MVP Development Workflow

End-to-end guide to building and launching your Minimum Viable Product including development planning, testing strategy, deployment, and analytics

The MVP Development workflow guides you through building and launching your first product version, from development setup to production deployment with analytics.

Overview#

PropertyValue
Phases5
TierFree
Typical Duration4-8 weeks
Best ForFirst-time builders, rapid validation, early-stage startups

What Makes a Good MVP#

An MVP is not:

  • A prototype or demo
  • A feature-complete product
  • Something you're embarrassed by

An MVP is:

  • Minimum - The smallest thing that delivers value
  • Viable - Actually works, can be used by real users
  • Product - A complete experience, not a partial one
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ MVP SPECTRUM │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ TOO LITTLE JUST RIGHT TOO MUCH │ │ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │ │ │ │ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │ │ │ Landing │ │ Working MVP │ │ Full │ │ │ │ Page │ │ with core │ │ Product │ │ │ │ Only │ │ value prop │ │ │ │ │ └─────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────┘ │ │ │ │ No validation Validates problem Over-built │ │ of product AND solution for stage │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Phases#

Phase 1: Development Setup (2-3 days)#

Agents: devops-expert, backend-expert

Set up the development environment and project structure.

Tasks:

  • Initialize project with chosen stack
  • Set up development environment
  • Configure version control
  • Set up CI/CD pipeline
  • Configure development database

Project Initialization:

1# Create new project with Bootspring 2bootspring create my-mvp --template saas-starter 3 4# Or manual setup with Next.js 5npx create-next-app@latest my-mvp --typescript --tailwind --eslint --app 6 7# Install core dependencies 8cd my-mvp 9npm install prisma @prisma/client zod 10npm install -D @types/node typescript 11 12# Initialize Prisma 13npx prisma init 14 15# Set up environment 16cp .env.example .env.local

Recommended Tech Stack:

1## MVP Tech Stack Recommendations 2 3### Frontend 4| Choice | Recommendation | Reasoning | 5|--------|----------------|-----------| 6| Framework | Next.js 14+ | Full-stack, great DX | 7| Styling | Tailwind CSS | Fast iteration | 8| Components | shadcn/ui | Copy-paste components | 9| State | React hooks + context | Simple, no extra deps | 10 11### Backend 12| Choice | Recommendation | Reasoning | 13|--------|----------------|-----------| 14| API | Next.js API Routes | Colocated with frontend | 15| Database | PostgreSQL (Neon) | Scales, free tier | 16| ORM | Prisma | Type-safe, great DX | 17| Auth | Clerk or NextAuth | Don't roll your own | 18 19### Infrastructure 20| Choice | Recommendation | Reasoning | 21|--------|----------------|-----------| 22| Hosting | Vercel | Zero-config deploy | 23| Database | Neon | Serverless Postgres | 24| Storage | Cloudflare R2 | Cheap, S3-compatible | 25| Email | Resend | Developer-focused | 26 27### Monitoring 28| Choice | Recommendation | Reasoning | 29|--------|----------------|-----------| 30| Errors | Sentry | Free tier, great insights | 31| Analytics | PostHog | Product analytics | 32| Logs | Vercel built-in | Simplicity |

Initial Project Structure:

my-mvp/ ├── app/ │ ├── (auth)/ │ │ ├── sign-in/ │ │ └── sign-up/ │ ├── (dashboard)/ │ │ ├── layout.tsx │ │ └── page.tsx │ ├── (marketing)/ │ │ ├── layout.tsx │ │ └── page.tsx │ ├── api/ │ │ └── webhooks/ │ ├── layout.tsx │ └── page.tsx ├── components/ │ ├── ui/ │ └── [feature]/ ├── lib/ │ ├── auth.ts │ ├── db.ts │ └── utils.ts ├── prisma/ │ └── schema.prisma ├── public/ ├── .env.local ├── .env.example └── package.json

Phase 2: Core Feature Development (2-4 weeks)#

Agents: backend-expert, frontend-expert, database-expert

Build the core functionality that delivers your value proposition.

Tasks:

  • Implement database schema
  • Build API endpoints
  • Create frontend components
  • Implement core user flows
  • Add authentication

Database Schema Example:

1// prisma/schema.prisma 2 3generator client { 4 provider = "prisma-client-js" 5} 6 7datasource db { 8 provider = "postgresql" 9 url = env("DATABASE_URL") 10} 11 12model User { 13 id String @id @default(cuid()) 14 email String @unique 15 name String? 16 image String? 17 createdAt DateTime @default(now()) 18 updatedAt DateTime @updatedAt 19 20 // Relations 21 projects Project[] 22 subscription Subscription? 23} 24 25model Project { 26 id String @id @default(cuid()) 27 name String 28 description String? 29 createdAt DateTime @default(now()) 30 updatedAt DateTime @updatedAt 31 32 // Relations 33 userId String 34 user User @relation(fields: [userId], references: [id], onDelete: Cascade) 35 36 @@index([userId]) 37} 38 39model Subscription { 40 id String @id @default(cuid()) 41 userId String @unique 42 stripeCustomerId String? @unique 43 stripePriceId String? 44 stripeSubscriptionId String? @unique 45 status String @default("inactive") 46 currentPeriodEnd DateTime? 47 createdAt DateTime @default(now()) 48 updatedAt DateTime @updatedAt 49 50 user User @relation(fields: [userId], references: [id], onDelete: Cascade) 51}

API Route Example:

1// app/api/projects/route.ts 2 3import { NextResponse } from 'next/server'; 4import { auth } from '@/lib/auth'; 5import { prisma } from '@/lib/db'; 6import { z } from 'zod'; 7 8const createProjectSchema = z.object({ 9 name: z.string().min(1).max(100), 10 description: z.string().max(500).optional(), 11}); 12 13export async function GET(request: Request) { 14 const session = await auth(); 15 if (!session?.user?.id) { 16 return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Unauthorized' }, { status: 401 }); 17 } 18 19 const projects = await prisma.project.findMany({ 20 where: { userId: session.user.id }, 21 orderBy: { createdAt: 'desc' }, 22 }); 23 24 return NextResponse.json(projects); 25} 26 27export async function POST(request: Request) { 28 const session = await auth(); 29 if (!session?.user?.id) { 30 return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Unauthorized' }, { status: 401 }); 31 } 32 33 const body = await request.json(); 34 const result = createProjectSchema.safeParse(body); 35 36 if (!result.success) { 37 return NextResponse.json( 38 { error: 'Invalid input', details: result.error.issues }, 39 { status: 400 } 40 ); 41 } 42 43 const project = await prisma.project.create({ 44 data: { 45 ...result.data, 46 userId: session.user.id, 47 }, 48 }); 49 50 return NextResponse.json(project, { status: 201 }); 51}

Frontend Component Example:

1// components/projects/project-list.tsx 2'use client'; 3 4import { useState, useEffect } from 'react'; 5import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'; 6import { Card } from '@/components/ui/card'; 7 8interface Project { 9 id: string; 10 name: string; 11 description: string | null; 12 createdAt: string; 13} 14 15export function ProjectList() { 16 const [projects, setProjects] = useState<Project[]>([]); 17 const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true); 18 19 useEffect(() => { 20 async function fetchProjects() { 21 const res = await fetch('/api/projects'); 22 if (res.ok) { 23 const data = await res.json(); 24 setProjects(data); 25 } 26 setLoading(false); 27 } 28 fetchProjects(); 29 }, []); 30 31 if (loading) { 32 return <div>Loading projects...</div>; 33 } 34 35 if (projects.length === 0) { 36 return ( 37 <div className="text-center py-12"> 38 <h3 className="text-lg font-medium">No projects yet</h3> 39 <p className="text-muted-foreground mt-2"> 40 Create your first project to get started. 41 </p> 42 <Button className="mt-4">Create Project</Button> 43 </div> 44 ); 45 } 46 47 return ( 48 <div className="grid gap-4 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3"> 49 {projects.map((project) => ( 50 <Card key={project.id} className="p-4"> 51 <h3 className="font-medium">{project.name}</h3> 52 {project.description && ( 53 <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground mt-1"> 54 {project.description} 55 </p> 56 )} 57 </Card> 58 ))} 59 </div> 60 ); 61}

Phase 3: Testing & Quality (3-5 days)#

Agents: testing-expert, code-review-expert

Ensure the MVP works reliably before launch.

Tasks:

  • Write unit tests for critical paths
  • Write integration tests for API
  • Perform manual testing
  • Fix bugs and issues
  • Code review

Testing Strategy for MVP:

1## MVP Testing Priorities 2 3### Must Test (P0) 4- [ ] User authentication (sign up, sign in, sign out) 5- [ ] Core feature happy path 6- [ ] Payment flow (if applicable) 7- [ ] Critical error handling 8 9### Should Test (P1) 10- [ ] API validation 11- [ ] Edge cases in core flows 12- [ ] Cross-browser compatibility 13- [ ] Mobile responsiveness 14 15### Nice to Have (P2) 16- [ ] Performance testing 17- [ ] Accessibility testing 18- [ ] Full E2E test suite

Test Examples:

1// __tests__/api/projects.test.ts 2 3import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'; 4import { POST, GET } from '@/app/api/projects/route'; 5import { prisma } from '@/lib/db'; 6 7describe('Projects API', () => { 8 beforeEach(async () => { 9 await prisma.project.deleteMany(); 10 }); 11 12 describe('POST /api/projects', () => { 13 it('creates a project with valid input', async () => { 14 const request = new Request('http://localhost/api/projects', { 15 method: 'POST', 16 body: JSON.stringify({ 17 name: 'Test Project', 18 description: 'A test project', 19 }), 20 }); 21 22 const response = await POST(request); 23 const data = await response.json(); 24 25 expect(response.status).toBe(201); 26 expect(data.name).toBe('Test Project'); 27 expect(data.id).toBeDefined(); 28 }); 29 30 it('rejects invalid input', async () => { 31 const request = new Request('http://localhost/api/projects', { 32 method: 'POST', 33 body: JSON.stringify({ 34 name: '', // Invalid: empty name 35 }), 36 }); 37 38 const response = await POST(request); 39 expect(response.status).toBe(400); 40 }); 41 }); 42 43 describe('GET /api/projects', () => { 44 it('returns user projects', async () => { 45 // Create test data 46 await prisma.project.create({ 47 data: { 48 name: 'Existing Project', 49 userId: 'test-user-id', 50 }, 51 }); 52 53 const request = new Request('http://localhost/api/projects'); 54 const response = await GET(request); 55 const data = await response.json(); 56 57 expect(response.status).toBe(200); 58 expect(data).toHaveLength(1); 59 }); 60 }); 61});

Phase 4: Deployment Setup (2-3 days)#

Agents: devops-expert

Deploy to production and set up monitoring.

Tasks:

  • Set up production database
  • Configure production environment
  • Deploy application
  • Set up domain and SSL
  • Configure monitoring and alerts

Deployment Checklist:

1## MVP Deployment Checklist 2 3### Environment Setup 4- [ ] Production database created (Neon) 5- [ ] Environment variables configured 6- [ ] Secrets stored securely (not in code) 7- [ ] Domain configured 8- [ ] SSL certificate active 9 10### Vercel Deployment 11- [ ] GitHub repo connected 12- [ ] Build settings configured 13- [ ] Environment variables added 14- [ ] Preview deployments enabled 15- [ ] Production domain configured 16 17### Database 18- [ ] Production schema deployed (`prisma db push`) 19- [ ] Database backups configured 20- [ ] Connection pooling enabled (if needed) 21 22### Monitoring 23- [ ] Error tracking (Sentry) configured 24- [ ] Analytics (PostHog) configured 25- [ ] Uptime monitoring configured 26- [ ] Alert notifications set up 27 28### Security 29- [ ] Security headers configured 30- [ ] Rate limiting enabled 31- [ ] Input validation complete 32- [ ] Auth properly configured

Vercel Configuration:

1// vercel.json 2{ 3 "framework": "nextjs", 4 "regions": ["iad1"], 5 "env": { 6 "DATABASE_URL": "@database-url", 7 "NEXTAUTH_SECRET": "@nextauth-secret", 8 "NEXTAUTH_URL": "@nextauth-url" 9 }, 10 "headers": [ 11 { 12 "source": "/(.*)", 13 "headers": [ 14 { 15 "key": "X-Frame-Options", 16 "value": "DENY" 17 }, 18 { 19 "key": "X-Content-Type-Options", 20 "value": "nosniff" 21 } 22 ] 23 } 24 ] 25}

Monitoring Setup:

1// lib/monitoring.ts 2 3import * as Sentry from '@sentry/nextjs'; 4import posthog from 'posthog-js'; 5 6// Initialize Sentry 7Sentry.init({ 8 dsn: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SENTRY_DSN, 9 environment: process.env.NODE_ENV, 10 tracesSampleRate: 0.1, // 10% of transactions for performance 11}); 12 13// Initialize PostHog (client-side only) 14if (typeof window !== 'undefined') { 15 posthog.init(process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_KEY!, { 16 api_host: 'https://app.posthog.com', 17 capture_pageview: false, // We'll manually capture 18 loaded: (posthog) => { 19 if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') { 20 posthog.opt_out_capturing(); 21 } 22 }, 23 }); 24} 25 26export { Sentry, posthog };

Phase 5: Analytics & Launch (2-3 days)#

Agents: business-analyst, frontend-expert

Instrument analytics and prepare for launch.

Tasks:

  • Implement analytics events
  • Set up conversion tracking
  • Create launch checklist
  • Soft launch to beta users
  • Monitor and iterate

Analytics Implementation:

1// lib/analytics.ts 2 3import { posthog } from './monitoring'; 4 5// Event types for type safety 6export const EVENTS = { 7 // Acquisition 8 SIGN_UP_STARTED: 'sign_up_started', 9 SIGN_UP_COMPLETED: 'sign_up_completed', 10 11 // Activation 12 ONBOARDING_STARTED: 'onboarding_started', 13 ONBOARDING_COMPLETED: 'onboarding_completed', 14 FIRST_PROJECT_CREATED: 'first_project_created', 15 16 // Engagement 17 PROJECT_CREATED: 'project_created', 18 PROJECT_UPDATED: 'project_updated', 19 FEATURE_USED: 'feature_used', 20 21 // Revenue 22 UPGRADE_CLICKED: 'upgrade_clicked', 23 CHECKOUT_STARTED: 'checkout_started', 24 SUBSCRIPTION_CREATED: 'subscription_created', 25} as const; 26 27export function track( 28 event: keyof typeof EVENTS, 29 properties?: Record<string, unknown> 30) { 31 if (typeof window === 'undefined') return; 32 33 posthog.capture(EVENTS[event], properties); 34 35 // Also log in development 36 if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') { 37 console.log(`[Analytics] ${event}`, properties); 38 } 39} 40 41export function identify(userId: string, traits?: Record<string, unknown>) { 42 if (typeof window === 'undefined') return; 43 44 posthog.identify(userId, traits); 45} 46 47export function page(name: string, properties?: Record<string, unknown>) { 48 if (typeof window === 'undefined') return; 49 50 posthog.capture('$pageview', { 51 $current_url: window.location.href, 52 page_name: name, 53 ...properties, 54 }); 55}

Using Analytics in Components:

1// components/projects/create-project-button.tsx 2'use client'; 3 4import { useState } from 'react'; 5import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'; 6import { track } from '@/lib/analytics'; 7 8export function CreateProjectButton() { 9 const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false); 10 11 async function handleCreate() { 12 setLoading(true); 13 14 try { 15 const res = await fetch('/api/projects', { 16 method: 'POST', 17 body: JSON.stringify({ name: 'New Project' }), 18 }); 19 20 if (res.ok) { 21 // Track the event 22 track('PROJECT_CREATED', { 23 source: 'dashboard', 24 }); 25 26 // Check if first project for activation tracking 27 const projects = await fetch('/api/projects').then(r => r.json()); 28 if (projects.length === 1) { 29 track('FIRST_PROJECT_CREATED'); 30 } 31 } 32 } finally { 33 setLoading(false); 34 } 35 } 36 37 return ( 38 <Button onClick={handleCreate} disabled={loading}> 39 {loading ? 'Creating...' : 'Create Project'} 40 </Button> 41 ); 42}

Launch Checklist:

1## MVP Launch Checklist 2 3### Pre-Launch (T-7 days) 4- [ ] All core features working 5- [ ] Error tracking configured and tested 6- [ ] Analytics events firing correctly 7- [ ] Feedback collection mechanism ready 8- [ ] Support email set up 9- [ ] Terms of service / privacy policy 10- [ ] Beta users identified 11 12### Soft Launch (T-3 days) 13- [ ] Deploy to production 14- [ ] Invite 5-10 beta users 15- [ ] Monitor for critical issues 16- [ ] Collect initial feedback 17- [ ] Fix blocking bugs 18 19### Launch Day (T-0) 20- [ ] Double-check all systems 21- [ ] Announce to wider audience 22- [ ] Monitor error rates 23- [ ] Monitor sign-up funnel 24- [ ] Be available for support 25- [ ] Celebrate! 26 27### Post-Launch (T+7 days) 28- [ ] Review analytics data 29- [ ] Analyze user feedback 30- [ ] Prioritize bug fixes 31- [ ] Plan iteration based on data 32- [ ] Send thank-you to early users

Starting the Workflow#

1# Start MVP development workflow 2bootspring workflow start seed-mvp 3 4# Create project scaffold 5bootspring seed mvp create --name "My MVP" 6 7# Run development server 8bootspring dev 9 10# Deploy to production 11bootspring deploy 12 13# Check launch readiness 14bootspring seed mvp checklist

Deliverables#

A successful MVP Development workflow produces:

  • Deployed, working application
  • Core feature implementation
  • User authentication
  • Basic analytics instrumentation
  • Error tracking setup
  • Production infrastructure
  • Launch checklist completion

Best Practices#

  1. Ship early, iterate fast - Done is better than perfect
  2. Focus on core value - One thing done well beats many done poorly
  3. Instrument from day one - Can't improve what you don't measure
  4. Talk to users - Build feedback loops into the product
  5. Keep it simple - Complexity is the enemy of shipping

Velocity Tips#

TipTime Saved
Use component libraries (shadcn)2-3 days
Use managed auth (Clerk)3-5 days
Use serverless DB (Neon)1-2 days
Use templates (Bootspring)3-5 days
Skip admin panel2-3 days

Common Pitfalls#

  • Building too many features before launch
  • Waiting for "perfect" before shipping
  • Not instrumenting analytics
  • Ignoring error monitoring
  • No feedback collection mechanism
  • Over-engineering for scale

Related Workflows#