5 Successful Apps That Were An MVP First

Online business is an unpredictable sector. A platform like Uber has lost a considerable amount of market capitalization on its market debut. 

Facebook is under regular scrutiny for data security. Or a Flappy Bird, an extremely popular gaming platform, vanished without notice.  

Even a lame observer can tell that it's challenging to sustain in the digital market.

But when an idea hits, is it wise to let the opportunity pass? And can't we monetize the solution?

Let's analyze the process: after you have validated your app idea, you need significant findings and investment to build an app. Then, if you hit the market at peak time and let your audience decide your fortune, chances are the story might undergo a twist of fate.

Did you know 99.5 percent of app ventures fail? Even a leading team and market experts can't design and release a fail-proof app. So what should be the approach? 

The approach should be to produce a minimum viable product (MVP) first. However, we examine here whether an MVP is overhyped or essential to launching a successful app. 

Later, our blog featured a list of top business apps that had previously been MVPs.

Summary

Billion-dollar businesses are often conceived from solutions to simple problems. Can't fetch groceries? Sign in to Instacart. Is private transportation too expensive? Go get Uber. 

Messy with files and folders? Store them in Dropbox. Can't find hotels? Book an apartment through Airbnb. Can't meet friends or stalk them? Use Facebook. 

Likewise, confused about starting an on-demand delivery service? Get in touch with Appsrhino. But most startups fail. It is because they emphasize too much on the initial product. However, an MVP can build a steadily growing platform for your app and audiences. 

The best feature of an MVP is its built-in feedback loop for product improvements and the value it provides to initial users to use or buy the product. Moreover, it's a tried-and-tested solution with no drawbacks. To know more about the method and its testaments, continue reading!

Is MVP an overhyped approach?   

The minimum viable product concept was popularized by Eric Ries, author of "The Startup Way" and the New York Times Bestseller "The Lean Startup." He is an advisor and consultant to several businesses and established capital venture firms.

Notably, his bestseller "The Lean Startup" narrates his journey from his failed startup Catalyst to being a senior SE there.Inc., which failed to launch an expensive product. For both misadventures, he attributed them to overlooking customers and focusing too much energy and time on the initial product.   

Moreover, he emphasizes that businesses and startups should build an MVP and continually incorporate customer feedback to create a market-fit product.

The qualities of an MVP over a maximum viable product are

1. It is fully functional and usable, making it worthwhile for customers to purchase and use.
2. It forecasts future benefits and retains early users.
3. But the most important characteristic is it has an intrinsic feedback loop. That enables grounds for future corrections and enhancements.

Thus, it is a strategic move for businesses to build an MVP, release it at the right time, and incorporate customer feedback to deliver a more sophisticated product. Now let's see who are the top businesses that adopted this idea.

Instacart  

Apoorva Maheta, the founder of Instacart, had worked for Amazon as a supply chain manager and knew that on-demand delivery has a lot of fortune. He quit his job. Started at least 20 services, none of them worked, before Instacart in 2012.  

But there is more to the story. Instacart didn't have any warehouse, inventories, or delivery van. Moreover, it was a Wizard Oz MVP! The app hadn't had in-app payment or automated delivery processes. This means it relied manually on purchasing groceries and carrying out deliveries.

When they developed a market fit product, they built backend automated processes. Apoorva did his homework!. The company went on to be the largest on-demand grocery delivery service. It has an 84% market share in the US and Canada and is valued at $17.7bn.

Facebook

Facebook is a social media leader, with around 2.89 bn monthly active users and the largest user base. But there were several milestones in this journey. Then, college-goer Mark Zuckerberg wrote the software for Facemash. This photo-sharing platform featured typical college boys' games such as "Hot or Not." Later, the website was used to share notes after the Harvard administration accused it of violating privacy and security rights.

However, the present Facebook is derived from the 2004 Facebook, compiled by Zuckerberg and his mates. The website addressed the unavailability of student web directories at Harvard. Nevertheless, over half of Harvard students enrolled in it within a month, then Stanford, Columbia, and Yale, then Ivy League and Boston schools, then the UK, and then inevitably. 

In 2005, the' was dropped from 'the Facebook,' and the domain of facebook.com was purchased for $200,000. And by the end of the third quarter of 2006, everyone aged 13 and older with a valid email address had access to Facebook.

Airbnb

Loosely speaking, if Uber mated with a hotel, the offspring would be Airbnb; how? Let's see.

After moving to San Francisco, mates Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia couldn't find comfortable accommodations. Either hotel was unavailable or unaffordable. They placed an air mattress in the living room of their apartment and rented it as a B&B with free Wi-Fi. The idea resonated, and people started renting out spaces in their apartments. The idea is so good that the company raised $3.5bn in IPO last year, and the customer count will reach 45.6mn by 2022. 

In 2008, the duo created and launched a website called AirBed & Breakfast. After a year, the website had 10,000 customers and over 2,500 listings. The following year, it shortened its name to Airbnb and expanded its services to include renting entire apartments, homes, and other properties. Though the initial website wasn't fully functional, it developed over time how an MVP does.

Uber 

Uber is the antithesis of on-demand mobile service apps, given its influence in the sector. The company started with ride-hailing service in 2009 and presently has verticals in food, alcohol, courier, etc. 

Garrett Camp anticipated the cost of direct transportation as an opportunity and figured sharing a cab could reduce it and volunteered a buzz called Uber. Initially, it operated as UberCab. The beta app was used only by the founders and their mates and tested in NYC with only three cabs. But the following year, it was launched publicly in San Francisco and subsequently evolved into Uber. The founders took advantage of feedback in the Appstore and developed in-app payments, giving them a lead in the market. Further suggestions were incorporated to build the present Uber.

Dropbox

Our last POC is Dropbox. In 2007, Drew Houston was at MIT. And he kept forgetting his USB flash drive, so he built a storage cloud for himself. But he soon realized that the solution could benefit others.

In the early days of Dropbox, Houston released a demo video explaining the MVP's uses and functions. The video was so impressive that sign-ups increased from 5,000 people to 75,000 overnight. Huston said it was easier to explain the ideas than to implement them.  

Houston founded Evenflow. Inc. in 2007 and launched it at an annual tech conference in 2008. But it was remanded to Dropbox the following year. After that, Dropbox steadily gained market share. In 2019, Dropbox had 14.3mn paid users and generated $1.66bn revenue.  

What's Next?

Building an MVP is the best way to crack the market! Be it releasing a video of an unfinished product, resonating with like-minded people, fixing a correct problem, or just hitting the market at the right time. All are tried and tested processes. Zuckurger, Huston, Apoorva, or Brian, and Joe used the same recipe to serve different audiences. However, do you want to be one of them? 

Building an MVP through DIY is not easy for everyone. Often, a ready-made solution comes in handy. Getting a customized on-demand mobile delivery company is easier when we use a ready-made solution. 

Although there are several top incumbents, not all can be featured on this list. We, however, tried to incorporate each from different domains and sectors. Please let us know which businesses we missed in the comments. We conclude our blog with a quote from a famous figure: "Finding the one is your duty."

“You have to start with the customer experience and work back towards the technology. Not the other way around.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Why do many successful apps start as an MVP first?

Starting as an MVP helps teams validate ideas, test real user demand, and reduce development risk before investing heavily, which is why many successful apps began with minimal features.

How does building an MVP first influence long-term product direction?

An MVP-first approach shapes product direction by using honest user feedback to prioritize features, refine value propositions, and avoid assumptions that could lead to costly redesigns later.

What common mistakes do founders make when launching an MVP first?

Common mistakes include overbuilding features, targeting too many use cases, ignoring early feedback, and delaying launch, which can dilute the core purpose of an MVP-first strategy.

Can an MVP-first approach work for complex apps?

Yes. Even complex apps can start as an MVP by focusing on a single core problem, enabling gradual expansion while maintaining clarity and technical stability.