THE SaaS MVP CHECKLIST: WHAT TO BUILD FIRST (AND WHAT TO SKIP)

Every founder we talk to has a 47-feature product spec. Every successful launch we've done shipped with fewer than 10.

The hardest part of building a SaaS MVP isn't the code -- it's deciding what not to build. Here's the framework we use with every client to strip a product down to the features that actually matter.

THE MUST-HAVES (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

These are the features that make your product a product, not a demo. If you can't do these, you don't have an MVP -- you have a prototype.

• Authentication: Users need to sign up and log in. Email/password minimum, Google OAuth if your audience is non-technical.
• The core loop: The one thing your product does that no one else does. If you're a project tracker, it's creating and completing tasks. If you're an analytics tool, it's showing a dashboard.
• Payments: If you're charging money, the payment flow has to work perfectly on day one. Use Stripe. No exceptions.
• Email notifications: Transactional emails for signup, password reset, and key actions. Not marketing -- just the basics.

THE SKIP LIST (BUILD LATER)

These features feel important. They're not. Not for v1.

• Admin dashboard: You can manage things in the database for the first 50 users. Build the admin panel when you can't.
• Team features: Start with single-user accounts. Add teams when someone asks for it (and is willing to pay more).
• Integrations: Zapier and API access are v2 features. Get the core working first.
• Custom branding: White-labeling is a growth feature, not a launch feature.

THE DECISION FRAMEWORK

For every feature on your list, ask one question: "Will someone pay for this product without this feature?"

If yes, cut it. You can always add it later. You can't get back the 3 weeks you spent building a feature nobody used.

The goal of an MVP is to learn, not to impress. Ship small, get feedback, and build what your actual users ask for -- not what you imagine they might want.