Teams waste the most money not on engineering rates, but on building the wrong surface area first. An MVP should answer a specific question: will a defined user take a defined action that supports a defined business model?
Write the assumption before the backlog
If you cannot state the assumption in one sentence, you are not ready to estimate screens. “Restaurants will accept digital ordering if it reduces phone chaos at lunch” is an assumption. “Build an app with loyalty, chat, wallets and a vendor portal” is a catalogue.
Cut features that do not teach you anything
Admin panels, edge-case automations and multi-role permissions often feel important. They are rarely what proves demand. Keep the first release thin enough that a founder can still sit with users and watch them fail or succeed.
Choose a stack you can staff after launch
The cheapest prototype is expensive if nobody can maintain it. Prefer technologies your team — or a partner like Genesix — can support with hiring, hosting and documentation. Speed matters. So does Monday morning after go-live.
Measure one primary action
Sign-ups, completed orders, booked visits, paid invoices: pick one. Instrument it. Everything else is supporting colour. When that action moves, you have earned the next module.