The minimum viable product (MVP) for Jobbuddy was created in a week without a single line of code.
Often you have a great idea that you want to startup. You realise you need some developers to create a full version of it and then set aside some money and go all in to develop your idea.
Let me tell you, I have a lot of ideas.
… And a lot of them will fail.
Thankfully, I know that. And hence I don’t invest a lot of my time or resource into any idea, unless I am able to quickly test it out by creating a MVP. The idea of MVP is to create the minimal functionality required for your product to work and bring value to customers.
For Jobbuddy, I was able to build the MVP without a single line of code, using Bubble.
I ❤️ Bubble.
Bubble introduces a new way to build an app. It’s a point-and-click programming tool, for web and mobile. No prior coding experience needed.
Bubble is a visual programming language for web and mobile applications. Bubble lets you build applications without typing code; it’s an alternative to Ruby-on-Rails or Django. Bubble hosts all applications on its cloud platform.
Turn your idea into a Live product
I came across Bubble.is on Product Hunt in Oct 2015. It is extremely easy to use and has good documentation to understand any of the concepts.
I always had the idea of creating a site that allowed job seekers to better organise their job search. And the only solution available was using a spread sheet (why in 21st century we still use spreadsheets is beyond me).
Anyhow, I knew in my head what I wanted from my product. It was as simple as jotting down:
- User creates an account
- User is able to add jobs / edit jobs / delete jobs (including deadline, description, status, etc)
- User is able to store documents (e.g. resume, cover letter, etc)
- User gets an automated email if a job deadline is approaching
Very simply, in Bubble, within a week and without touching any code, I was able to implemented the first three bullet points.
OK, so in a week I was able to create a site for users anywhere in the world to add their jobs and manage their job search online. That was my MVP.
Take feedback on your MVP
Once I had built Jobbuddy (I probably spent 2 hours in total coming up with that name and finalising it) MVP, I shared it with a few people in my careers network and also with my friends on Facebook.
It was great to receive feedback and learn early about what could be done better, or what anyone thinks about Jobbuddy.
Creating a site on Bubble, marketing on social media, taking feedback was all done in a lean manner. What that meant is, I didn’t spend a lot and also shipped something out quick.
- Creating a site on Bubble and implementing my idea cost $20.
- To manage the project, take feedback and manage product backlog and new feature requests was done on Zoho Projects (for FREE).
- Social media use of Twitter and Facebook was free.
- Images and other digital assets were created using Canva (Free account)
In a month, spending one week on developing my idea and shipping it to the world for $20, I was able to test my idea.
And that gave me the confidence that the idea of Jobbuddy is worth pursuing further. There is a real need for a product like Jobbuddy and it solves a real problem for job seekers.
This is how you can go about testing your idea by building a product quickly.
p.s. If you have an idea that you want to test out, you can either comment below or tweet us at @Jobbuddyco and I can help you develop your idea.
There is so much technology around you, all you need to understand is how to integrate various services to deliver a minimum viable product for your idea.
What is Jobbuddy?
Jobbuddy lets you track jobs you want and simplify your job search management. No more spreadsheets to track your jobs. You can now take your job search anywhere. You can read all about Jobbuddy here.
