MVP development services for new software products

Build the first release around what makes it worth using

Bring us an early idea or the product materials you already have. We define the useful core and carry it through product design and software engineering into a working MVP.

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Start custom MVP development at the right stage

Startups and established product teams come to us with an idea, brief, prototype, or backlog. As an MVP development company, we review the evidence and separate settled decisions from constraints, dependencies, and questions that still need validation. If the intended users, core workflow, or priorities remain unclear, Product UX Discovery can help answer those questions before the first-release scope is set. Waffly shows one route: Merge contributed discovery, product architecture and planning, POC development, and MVP development.

MVP development services scoped to your first release

Your agreed scope becomes a concrete set of product planning, interface design, software engineering, QA, and release outputs for the MVP.

First-release scope and product backlog

Document the agreed first-release scope, key dependencies, and deferred priorities in a product backlog that guides delivery.

Core user flows and interaction prototypes

Map the core user flows and prepare wireframes or prototypes when interaction choices need to be resolved before engineering.

Production interface design and UI components

Deliver approved screens, required states, reusable components, and responsive behavior for the user flows in the first release.

Software engineering and product integrations

Build the front end, back end, APIs, data layer, AI features, payments, or other integrations included in the agreed scope.

Quality assurance and release preparation

Test the agreed flows and key states, resolve release-blocking issues, and prepare the scoped MVP for staging or deployment.

Launch feedback and next-release backlog

Prepare a launch feedback plan and a next-release backlog for deferred work, priorities, and decisions to revisit after release.

Create an MVP your business investors will love

Get hands-on advice, real examples, and lots of winning strategies for startups and entrepreneurs to launch a successful MVP.

Success and failure stories

MVP design guidance

MVP tech stack

Insights from our own MVP

Create an MVP your business investors will love

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How we estimate your MVP development project

We base the estimate on the first-release scope, design maturity, engineering layers, integrations, and open technical questions. We also agree with your team whether Merge handles design, development, or both, then record responsibilities, dependencies, acceptance criteria, and exclusions. If the scope changes, we review its effect on effort and timing before adding the work.

Scope your MVP

Our MVP development process

Our MVP design and development work follows the agreed scope. Your team reviews designs and working software at agreed checkpoints, then approves the result for release or handoff.

Kickoff

We turn the agreed scope into a working plan, confirm access and communication, and set the first delivery and review points. Your team confirms the plan before detailed work begins.

Design

For design work in scope, we prepare MVP flows, screens, and interface states in reviewable batches. Your team approves the direction before implementation, with engineering input when Merge builds.

Development

When Merge owns implementation, engineers build the scoped MVP features and integrations. Your team reviews working software in demos or staging while open questions and scope changes are recorded.

Release

For build engagements, we complete agreed QA and release checks, address blocking issues, and prepare the handoff. Your team reviews the result against acceptance criteria and approves launch.

Our technology choices follow the scope

We choose the MVP technology stack around product requirements, existing systems, required integrations, technical constraints, and the engineering work included in the first release.

How our role changes across MVP projects

In Waffly, we handled POC and MVP development, while Promtify reflects our in-house product work. For NFT Bull, we delivered MVP design and Webflow development; for Zeebu, scope, core user flows, and implementation handoff.

Waffly

Waffly set out to make recorded audio searchable. The engagement began with a proof of concept to test the core AI workflow and plan the wider MVP. Product challenge The team needed a product plan and flexible architecture, while the POC had to validate AI transcription and semantic search together. Our contribution We interviewed stakeholders, researched competitors, shaped the plan and architecture, and built the POC with VOSK and Pyannote-audio while managing the third-party development team. Delivered In one month, the POC connected raw-audio transcription and semantic search in Waffly’s player. In a verified Clutch review, Waffly’s CEO said the POC helped Waffly raise its angel round and begin work on the full MVP.

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Agentless

Agentless helps U.S. home buyers purchase property without a traditional agent. The engagement began at the idea stage, before design and development. Product challenge The product had to organize property data, guide buyers through an unfamiliar process, and generate state- and user-specific printable Purchase Agreements. Our contribution We completed technical feasibility research and market validation, mapped offer and agreement flows, and created the complete UI and brand. We built the frontend and backend in parallel, using AI to organize property data and surface inspection-report summaries, key issues, and repair-cost estimates. Delivered We delivered a working online platform, Webflow marketing site, and calculator for estimating potential savings. Its stack included Next.js, TypeScript, Flask, Python, Supabase, AWS, and Vercel.

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Promtify

Promtify was our in-house AI template builder, not a client project. We owned the product direction as well as the design and engineering work. Product challenge We needed to validate the idea with a basic OpenAI-connected front end and essential features before expanding the product around that core workflow. Our contribution We shaped the visual concept and information architecture, designed the UI, and built the front end and OpenAI API integration. We also worked on the subscription model and database, then refined usability in response to user feedback. Delivered We launched the AI MVP in two months, with design and development running in parallel. The build used Next.js, Supabase, Vercel, the OpenAI API, and Slate.js for the editor. A significant number of users registered shortly after launch. We saw that rapid adoption as a sign the product resonated with the market.

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NFT Bull

NFTBull was conceived as a portfolio and trading terminal combining on-chain and social insights for NFT investors. Product challenge The NFTBull team brought an initial concept, charts, and spreadsheets. They needed us to shape those data-heavy inputs into a coherent first-release experience across web and mobile. Our contribution We ran product UX discovery and designed the web-app MVP around Portfolio Simulation, real-time alerts, and a Watchlist, including mobile adaptations and a dark interface. We also created a neon, acid-toned brand identity with six logo color variants, then designed and developed the marketing site in Webflow. Delivered We delivered the MVP design and Webflow website within two months. Merge's published case says this helped NFTBull test hypotheses and validate the concept. In a verified Clutch review, NFTBull's co-founder said the data-heavy platform was easy to use and that every deadline was met.

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Zeebu

Zeebu needed to expand an existing B2B settlement product beyond its swap-only interface without losing coherence across dependent flows. The engagement focused on translating user feedback and product logic into implementation-ready design artifacts. Product challenge Temporary users focused on ZIP points and airdrops, while long-term users needed direct routes to staking, delegation, node setup, and liquidity. Users struggled with wallet connection, dashboards, rewards, and eligibility. Our contribution After reviewing feedback and segmenting users, we mapped the Deployer flow first because its rules and data governed Delegator journeys. We then designed pending and success states, receipts, transaction-hash verification links, and expanded the UI kit with reusable components, states, and templates. Delivered We delivered a complete Figma package, flow documentation, walkthroughs, and Lottie/GIF interaction assets for implementation. Completing the core platform flows early in the planned six-month engagement left time to design an MVP for a non-custodial Chrome-extension wallet.

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1/5

Why product teams choose Merge for MVP development

Keep product decisions connected

Product, design, and engineering stay in one conversation within the agreed scope. Your team weighs interface choices against technical constraints.

Know who decides at each review

You agree review points, responsibilities, and decision owners with the delivery team, so each open question has a clear route to approval.

See change impact before adding work

Before work is added, the team assesses effort, dependencies, QA, budget, and timing. Changes to budget, timing, or deliverables require written approval.

Define Merge's role in the work

Merge can own a defined workstream or work alongside your team. You agree on responsibilities and handoff boundaries up front for that scope.

Fit the work to your environment

Both teams agree on tools, access, and cadence that work with your backlog, repository, stack, CI/CD, and review process before delivery begins.

Overall 4.9/5 across 67 reviews

Merge Rocks holds an overall 4.9/5 rating across 67 Clutch reviews. Read the client feedback when comparing partners for your MVP development.

What our clients say

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“The Merge Development team is very good at what they do. It’s why we’ve continued to use their services even after a year. We plan to work with them for the rest of our business’s life.”

David Kemmerer, CEO & Co-Founder at CoinLedger

1/3

Read Clutch review

“We found their expertise in the fintech industry and delivery with a focus on business objectives quite impressive. And, of course, the team excels in both design and development.”

Denys Volokh, CTO at Noviscient

1/3

Read Clutch review

“We find their approach to working processes, design, and development very satisfying and that usually only top agencies can provide.”

Charlie Karaboga, CEO & Co-Founder at Block Earner

1/3

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Questions to ask before choosing an MVP development company

The first 1–2 weeks usually establish how delivery will run, but the sequence depends on what you bring and which questions remain open. Merge and your team confirm access, decision owners, review windows, responsibilities, dependencies, and the first work package. They also record risks and the next design or engineering milestone. Missing access, unavailable approvers, or unresolved product questions can extend this phase, so its expected length is confirmed at kickoff.

Merge estimates each MVP project after the first-release scope and major assumptions are clear enough to assess. Cost changes with design readiness, target platforms, engineering layers, integrations, data or AI requirements, QA, release responsibilities, and handoff. An existing backlog or prototype can reduce uncertainty, but it does not determine price on its own. The estimate should name exclusions, client responsibilities, acceptance criteria, and how approved changes affect cost.

Merge sets a project timeline after reviewing the release scope, design readiness, technical dependencies, integrations, review windows, and release requirements. The plan identifies milestones, client review dates, external dependencies, and the person who can approve each stage. Missing access, unresolved decisions, or late feedback can move planned dates. If scope or responsibilities change, Merge reassesses the schedule before committing to the additional work.

Merge can join your product team or take responsibility for a defined workstream. Before delivery, both sides agree roles, technical decision rights, required access, review owners, release responsibilities, tools, and communication cadence. Merge can use an established stack and workflow when the engagement calls for it, after checking compatibility and access. With Restream, Merge worked alongside the client's existing design and legacy stack within a shared product workflow. Your team retains business priorities, budget authority, and launch approval.

Changes are assessed before added work begins. The project manager records the request, and the relevant design or engineering owner checks the effect on deliverables, dependencies, QA, budget, and timing. Both sides may agree to exchange priorities without increasing the overall scope when the trade-off is clear. If a change adds material work, its impact and approval are documented under the project terms before the affected work proceeds.

QA and release checks are defined for the product risks, supported environments, acceptance criteria, and responsibilities in the project scope. Depending on the engagement, they may cover core and negative flows, permissions and states, integrations and data integrity, responsive or cross-browser behavior, accessibility checks, regression, deployment readiness, and smoke testing. When Merge owns the build, it addresses agreed blocking issues. Your team completes any assigned UAT, confirms business acceptance, and approves launch.

Handoff and ownership are defined by the project scope and applicable agreement. Paid custom deliverables normally transfer to the client under those agreed terms. Pre-existing Merge materials, open-source components, and third-party services or licences remain subject to applicable rights and exclusions. Depending on scope, handoff may include repositories, editable Figma files and assets, setup or architecture notes, integration or deployment documentation, backlog and known-issue records, account access, and knowledge transfer. Both teams confirm that the named owner can access and continue the work.