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How to launch an MVP in 3 weeks

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12 min read
•Par Thom @ Elano
How to launch an MVP in 3 weeks

You've had a product idea in your head for months. You know you need to launch, but between writer's block and the fear of building the wrong thing, you procrastinate. Good news: a well-done MVP can be launched in 3 weeks.

In this article, I share the exact method we use at Elano to launch functional MVPs in record time. No bullshit, just concrete steps.

Week 1: Scoping and Design

The first week is dedicated to clarifying your idea and creating mockups. This is the most strategic phase: if you mess up here, everything else will be shaky.

Day 1-2: Define the scope

We start with a scoping workshop. The goal: answer these critical questions:

  • 1What problem are you solving? If you can't explain it in one sentence, it's not clear.
  • 2For whom? "Everyone" is not a target. Be ultra-precise.
  • 3What is the CORE feature? If your MVP had only one feature, what would it be?
  • 4How to measure success? Define 2-3 key metrics from the start.

Day 3-5: UI/UX Design

Once the scope is validated, we move to design. No need for 47 screens. For an MVP, 5-8 screens are enough:

  1. Landing page (to explain your product)
  2. Sign up / Login (simple authentication)
  3. Dashboard (main view once connected)
  4. Core feature (the screen that does the main job)
  5. Basic settings (profile, preferences)

We use Figma to create high-fidelity mockups. No basic wireframes: we want it to be pixel-perfect from the start to save time in development.

Week 2: Development Sprint

This is where it becomes concrete. One week to code the essentials. Yes, it's tight. Yes, it's doable.

Optimal tech stack

To go fast without sacrificing quality, we use a modern and proven stack:

Frontend

  • • Next.js 14 (App Router)
  • • TypeScript
  • • Tailwind CSS
  • • Shadcn/ui for components

Backend

  • • Next.js API Routes
  • • PostgreSQL (Supabase)
  • • Prisma ORM
  • • Auth: NextAuth.js

Philosophy: "Done is better than perfect"

On an MVP, we apply the 80/20 rule: 20% of the code produces 80% of the value. Concretely, this means:

  • ✓No over-engineering. If it works for 100 users, it's enough. You'll optimize later.
  • ✓Essential features only. The "nice-to-have" wait for v2.
  • ✓Clean code but not perfect. You can refactor later if it gains traction.

Week 3: Testing & Launch

Final stretch: we test, fix critical bugs, and deploy.

Essential tests

No need for 100% coverage. Focus on critical paths:

  1. Happy path : The main path must work perfectly
  2. Critical edge cases : Form errors, empty states, etc.
  3. Mobile responsive : 60%+ of your traffic will be mobile

Deployment & monitoring

We deploy on Vercel (for Next.js) and Supabase (for the DB). Setup in 10 minutes top.

We immediately add:

  • →Analytics (Google Analytics + Plausible for privacy)
  • →Error tracking (Sentry to catch bugs in prod)
  • →Uptime monitoring (Better Uptime to be alerted if it goes down)

Summary: Key points

  • ✓Week 1: Ultra-precise scoping and design of the 5-8 essential screens
  • ✓Week 2: Dev sprint with a modern stack (Next.js + Supabase)
  • ✓Week 3: Tests on critical paths and production deployment
  • ✓Mindset: Done > Perfect. Launch fast, iterate with real users

There you go, you now have the complete method. The real question now: when are you launching?

Let's launch your MVP together?

At Elano, we've launched dozens of MVPs in 3 weeks. If you want the same method applied to your project, let's talk.

Book a call (30 min)