How Long Does It Really Take to Build an MVP?

Most founders overcomplicate things and underestimate the power of focus.

In my experience, a real MVP isn’t about piling on features - it’s about speed, clarity, and testing your core hypothesis.

If you stay focused and ditch perfectionism, you can ship something real in 30–60 days.

Here’s how that breaks down:

~10 days - Market and user research.
This is where I analyze competitors, define the value proposition, and talk to potential users. The goal: understand what you’re solving, and for whom. Don’t write a single line of code until you have clarity on this.

~20 days - Core feature development.
Now it’s time to build. But with one rule: no unnecessary features. Only what’s essential to get user feedback. If a feature is “nice to have,” it goes straight to the backlog.

~10 days - Testing, feedback, and improvements.
At this stage, I fix bugs, refine UX, and make quick changes based on real user input. This is also the time to start onboarding first users - not for scale, but for learning.

The key takeaway:
Don’t plan your MVP over six months. Build a mini-product in 30 days and find out fast if it's worth pursuing.

Think of it like this: you have one shot and one month - what would you actually build?