Ask HN: You have 3 skilled devs for 3 months, can you build a quality MVP?

No, 3 months is not a workable time frame. 3 weeks is, but not three months.

When you have too much time, you start planning out a vision instead of just delivering something quick and simple.

IMO the definition of an MVP is pretty low on features, just bare bones, works well enough to demonstrate the main concept(s). 3 months is a LONG time for an MVP.

Depending on the product ... in 3 months, you could do better than an MVP with good direction / clear vision. (good direction and clear vision aren't easy to be sure of tho...)

YC? No idea, I got the impression they were more concerned with the Business IDEA more than raw product output.

With disciplined, borderline tyrannical product management, that’s enough time. If the time is wasted on button colors and interesting architecture choices, three months isn’t nearly enough time.

For sure - but it also depends on the features you want to have in your MVP. (MVP itself is kind of a misnomer, but that is another discussion).

If you want any technical advise, design and coding help, feel free to reach out to me.

If you already have a clear problem and real demand, you’re a step ahead, and 3 months is very feasible, just focus on execution.

But if not, I’d make validation your priority.

TL;DR:

Start with the problem and real users. Get a commitment, build the absolute minimum, and be relentless about learning from feedback. Three months is enough to make something real, maybe not beautiful, but definitely valuable.

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I’ll throw in my two cents, speaking as a dev who’s been at this a while (definitely not a 10x’er, imposter syndrome still hits now and then).

If you’ve got three good developers, that’s a huge advantage. But before you dive into the building, focus on the problem, not just the product.

1. Validate the pain first. If you already have a clear problem and real demand, you’re a step ahead, just focus on a well planned execution. But if not, I’d make validation your priority. Reach out to your network or a niche you know.

Don’t just brainstorm ideas, talk to potential users and ask what actually frustrates them or what slows them down.

Example: My local gym used to distribute paper fitness programs. Challenges included managing clients' programs, tracking fitness progress and client engagement. A local software team built them a simple app, proved it worked, and is now selling that app to other gyms. That’s finding demand before building.

2. Land a real-world test partner. Critical in my opinion. If you can get a business or a group of users to commit to trying your MVP (even a rough version) as a pre-sell access, you’re way ahead.

3. Build first the smallest thing that solves the problem. Once you’ve validated there’s real demand, ruthlessly focus on those features first. What’s the absolute minimum you can build that proves value? If your MVP feels “almost too basic,” you’re on the right track in my opinion.

In three months, you won’t ship perfection, but you can absolutely deliver a working, usable V1.

4. My own experience: Right now, I’m working on a SaaS for a niche industry. I partnered up with a company, went to their annual conference, and spoke with managers about their biggest headaches. After presenting a mockup built over a weekend, I proposed a free plan to a pilot group (50 users) in exchange for honest feedback, and made it clear that we’d refine it before moving to paid customers.

I’ve spent about six months on it (part-time, mostly solo dev, with two part-time teammates handling design/support). We’re about to launch it to the pilot group. The whole thing only worked because we started with the problem, not the tech.

5. If your goal is $1k/mo in SaaS revenue within 3 months, you’ll need a real buyer lined up from day one, but it’s possible.

For a YC interview, I'm far from that ecosystem but I can only assume it’s similar to pitching to a potential client. For me, it's always been about solving a clear issue and showing progress.

Fundraising? Same as above, you’ll need to prove users actually care about your product even if it's minimal and rough.

For me, the biggest wins came from real user validation, listening to feedback and fast execution. 3 months totally possible!

Hope your hypothetical turns into something real, and worthwhile, in three months or less.