How to Write an MVP Spec a Studio Can Quote
Vague briefs get padded quotes. A one-page spec gets honest ones, and it forces decisions you would otherwise make expensively mid-build. Here is the template we wish every founder sent us.
- Published
The one-page template
- The problem, in two sentences, from the user’s point of view.
- Users and roles: who uses it, and what each role can do.
- The three to five core flows, each as numbered steps.
- Must-have for launch vs later — two explicit lists.
- Integrations: payments, email, SMS, CRM, anything external.
- Platforms: web, iOS, Android, admin panel.
- What success looks like in 90 days, as a number.
- Constraints: deadline, budget range, compliance needs.
Writing flows that can be priced
A good flow is concrete: "Customer searches by city, sees a list of tutors with price and rating, books a 30-minute slot, pays by UPI, gets a WhatsApp confirmation." Every noun is a screen or a data field; every verb is a feature. That is what a studio prices.
The "later" list is your best friend
Everything you move to "later" lowers the price and speeds up launch. Chat, reviews, referral programmes, multiple languages and advanced analytics are the usual candidates. Launch with the flows that prove people want the product, then let real usage decide the rest.
What to leave out
- Technology choices, unless you have a strong reason — let the studio justify theirs.
- Pixel-perfect designs before flows are settled.
- Feature lists copied from competitors.
Frequently asked questions
What if I don’t know the flows yet?
That is what a discovery phase is for. One to two weeks turns an idea into flows, designs and a fixed quote.
Should I include wireframes?
Rough sketches help. Polished designs are not needed to get a quote.
Will you sign an NDA first?
Yes, before any detailed discussion if you prefer.
