The top 3 mistakes I see startups making when building their MVP (and how I help avoid them)

Here are the top 3 mistakes I see startups making when building their MVP (and how I help avoid them)..

1. Building for scale too early

Startups often over-engineer their MVP.

Preparing for millions of users when they don’t even have ten.

This leads to unnecessary complexity and wasted time.

Your MVP should prove the idea works, not handle huge scale.

- Choose simple, proven tech
- Think in terms of weeks rather than months
- Manually handle early edge cases
- Ignore more complex architecture patterns like micro services

2. Trying to build everything

Instead of focusing on the core problem, startups add too many features.

The result? A bloated product that takes too long to launch.

An MVP should be the simplest version of your idea that delivers value.

- Define a single core problem
- Prioritise ruthlessly
- Fake it before you build it

3. Skipping user validation

Some startups build what they think users want—without talking to actual users.

An MVP should be tested early, with real feedback shaping development.

Otherwise, you risk building something nobody needs.

- Talk to users first
- Capture interest from a landing page or score card
- Release something as early as possible

Keep it simple, get early feedback, and iterate fast!