MVP Launch Checklist

A step-by-step checklist for scoping, building, and shipping a minimum viable product to your first real users.

work, productivity, coding

by Morris

Idea Validation

Confirm the problem is real before writing a single line of code.

Run the Mom Test on at least 10 potential users
Identify the single most painful problem you are solving
Find 5 existing alternatives users currently use (even if they are terrible)
Define your target user in one paragraph - demographics, job, biggest daily frustration
Check if anyone is already paying for a solution (Google Ads bids, App Store reviews, Reddit complaints)
Set a kill criterion - define what outcome in 60 days means you pivot or stop

Cut ruthlessly. The MVP is the smallest thing that delivers the core value.

List every feature you want to build, then delete 70% of them
Define the single core user flow that must work perfectly on day 1
Apply the feature cut test to each remaining feature
Write a one-page spec: problem, user, core flow, what is explicitly out of scope
Set a hard ship date no more than 6 weeks out and put it in your calendar
Decide which features will be 'wizard of oz' (manual backend) vs real code for v1

Optimize for shipping speed, not architectural purity.

Pick a stack you already know - learning a new framework during an MVP adds 3-4 weeks
Choose a managed backend to avoid ops work (Supabase, Firebase, PlanetScale, Railway)
Decide on auth strategy - use a library, do not roll your own (Clerk, Auth.js, Firebase Auth, Supabase Auth)
Pick one deployment target and learn its deploy flow before writing feature code
Document the stack decision in a 5-line README so you can explain it to a future co-founder or hire

Get the boring-but-critical plumbing done before building features.

Register a domain (Cloudflare Registrar is cheapest, ~$10/year for .com)
Set up SSL - every modern host provides free Let's Encrypt certificates automatically
Set up a production database with automated daily backups enabled
Configure environment variables for prod, staging, and local - never hardcode secrets
Set up a transactional email provider (Resend or Postmark) and verify your sending domain
Create separate production and staging environments from day 1
Point your custom domain to the deployment and confirm it resolves over HTTPS

Only implement these if they are part of the core MVP flow.

Integrate social login (Google at minimum) - most users abandon email/password signup
Add a payment provider before launch if you are charging - Stripe is the default choice
Implement a free trial or freemium tier so users can try before paying
Write and link your Terms of Service and Privacy Policy before charging anyone
Test the full auth flow on mobile - sign up, log out, log back in on a real device
Confirm payment receipts, failed payment notices, and subscription cancellation emails all work

Know when things break before your users tell you.

Install Sentry (free up to 5k errors/month) and wire it to both frontend and backend
Configure Sentry to alert you on Slack or email for new error types within 5 minutes
Set up uptime monitoring with a free tool (Better Uptime, UptimeRobot, or Checkly)
Add structured logging to your backend (Winston or Pino) and ship logs to a free sink (Axiom free tier: 500GB/month)
Test your error alerting by deliberately throwing an error in production after deploy

Measure the one or two metrics that tell you if the MVP is working.

Define your single North Star Metric before choosing any analytics tool
Install a privacy-friendly analytics tool (Plausible at $9/month or PostHog free tier)
Instrument the 3-5 key events in the core user flow with tracking calls
Set up a funnel from landing page visit to core action completion
Configure a weekly digest email or Slack report for your North Star Metric

Ship to 10-20 trusted users before going public.

Recruit 10-20 beta testers who match your target user profile - not friends and family
Give each beta tester a specific task to complete, not a free exploration session
Set up a private feedback channel (Discord server, Slack group, or a simple Typeform)
Schedule 30-minute user interviews with at least 5 beta testers to watch them use the product
Track every bug and friction point in a simple spreadsheet with severity (P1/P2/P3) labels
Fix all P1 (blocking) bugs before public launch - ship with known P2/P3 issues if needed
Ask every beta tester: 'How disappointed would you be if this product disappeared tomorrow?' - aim for 40%+ saying 'very disappointed'

Line up the shot before pulling the trigger.

Write the landing page headline using the formula: '[Outcome] for [Persona] without [Pain]'
Prepare a launch post for each channel you plan to use (keep it to 2-3 channels max)
Build a waitlist or pre-launch email list of at least 200 people before announcing publicly
Record a 60-second screen-capture demo video showing the core flow
Write 3 canned responses for the most common objections you expect after launch
Set your pricing - anchor with a higher tier even if you only expect to sell the mid tier

Ship it and tell the world.

Send the launch email to your waitlist at 8am in their timezone
Post across your 2-3 chosen channels within a 2-hour window
Monitor Sentry, uptime alerts, and your database load for the first 4 hours of launch
Reply to every comment and DM within the first 6 hours of launch day
Take a snapshot of Day 1 metrics (signups, conversions, revenue, top traffic source)
Send a personal thank-you message to your first 10 paying customers

The MVP launched. Now learn as fast as possible.

Set up an automated in-app survey that fires 3 days after signup (NPS or Sean Ellis PMF question)
Interview 3 churned users within their first 2 weeks to learn why they left
Build a public roadmap or changelog (using Headway, Noticeable, or a simple GitHub Projects board)
Schedule a weekly 30-minute review of your North Star Metric trend and top user feedback themes
Define the next 3 features to build based only on data from the first 30 days, not assumptions
Decide by day 60 whether to double down, pivot the ICP, or pivot the solution based on your kill criterion

Cover the basics so you are not caught off guard.

Register a business entity if you expect revenue above $1,000/month (LLC in the US takes 1-2 weeks)
Open a dedicated business bank account and never mix personal and business finances
Set up Stripe Tax or consult a CPA about sales tax obligations if selling in the US
Add a clear refund policy to your pricing page (30-day no-questions-asked is the conversion-maximizing standard)
Back up your source code to at least two locations (GitHub + one additional mirror or local backup)