From SaaS idea to MVP: What should you build first?

1. Describe the problem before the features

Start with a specific audience and a task they perform today. How do they handle it? What is difficult, and how often does the problem arise? Speak to prospective users and ask them to show their current process instead of simply asking whether they like your idea.

A SaaS for clinics might start with booking and a shared calendar rather than an entire administration system. Conversations do not prove willingness to pay, but they help uncover mistaken assumptions early.

2. Define one complete user journey

An MVP is a first usable version. It should support one central task from beginning to end, not consist of a collection of unfinished features. Describe what the user does, what information must be saved and what a completed result looks like.

For a reporting product, that journey might be creating a case, recording information and downloading a finished document. Advanced analytics, additional report types and extensive customisation can wait if they are not essential to that task.

3. Prioritise the essentials behind the scenes too

Separate what is necessary now from what can come later. Login, separation of customers’ data, appropriate permissions and responsible handling of personal information may be essential from the first version. Security is not an optional extra that can automatically be postponed.

Consider who will handle user support, errors and operations. If customers will pay online, include checkout, subscription management and terms in your scope.

4. What affects the cost of a SaaS MVP?

At Enkel Site, a simple, tightly scoped MVP starts from USD 1,502 excluding VAT, equivalent to DKK 10,000 at the reference rate of 1 DKK = 0.1502 USD on 2 October 2026, not a live rate. This is a minimum price for one core feature, not a promise of a complete SaaS product at that price. Hosting, licences and further development are agreed separately. User roles, integrations, payment flows, data migration and security requirements all affect the work. A simple product with one role is a different project from a platform with multiple businesses, permissions and external systems.

Ask for a quote that describes deliverables, exclusions, acceptance criteria and a timeline. Clarify ownership, access to source code, hosting, licences and maintenance too. Compare the agreed scope, not just the total at the bottom of the quote.

5. Try the product and choose your next step

Have relevant users perform the central task in the product. Observe where they get stuck, what they still do outside the system and whether they return. Distinguish between bugs, necessary improvements and new ideas.

Agree on what you want to learn before the trial. This might be whether users can complete the task without help or whether the audience wants to pay. A working MVP does not guarantee a market, but it provides a better basis for the next investment.

Bring this to a development conversation

• The intended audience and the problem your product solves.
• How that audience handles the task today.
• The central user journey and features that can wait.
• Any integrations, data and access requirements.
• A budget range, preferred start date and what you want to learn from version one.