MVP development
MVP development for startups
Rocket Lab designs and builds MVPs for startups: the first release of your web or mobile app, with only the features it needs, ready for real customers and built to grow rather than be thrown away. Senior designers and engineers in Sydney and Melbourne take you from scope to launch, starting with product discovery so the first version does only what it must.
- Discovery before the build
- Web, iOS and Android
- Your code, your accounts
- Sven Jobs MVP 10 weeks, to launch, on time and on budget
- The code Yours, once the project is paid in full
For founders with a real problem to solve and a first release to get right.
We launched Sven Jobs' recruitment MVP on iOS and Android in 10 weeks, on time and on budget. You own the code once the project is paid in full.
Who it is for
A first release you can build a company on
This is for founders and startup teams who have found a real problem, have the backing to build properly and need a first release they can put in front of customers and investors. The aim is the smallest product that proves the idea, built so the next version extends it instead of replacing it.
If you are still working out what to build, start with product discovery. It turns the idea into a scoped MVP and a roadmap before anyone writes code. If you already have a prototype built with AI tools, the App Rescue Report tells you what it would take to make it production-ready.
What we do
Everything your first release needs
One team from the first workshop to the app store listing, so nothing is lost between strategy, design and code.
Discovery and MVP scope
We agree the problem, the users and the few features that prove the idea, and leave the rest on a roadmap for later.
Product design
User flows, a clickable prototype and an interface your first customers can use without a manual.
Web and mobile build
Web apps in React and Next.js, mobile apps in React Native or Flutter, so iOS and Android share one codebase.
Backend, payments and integrations
Sign-in, the data model, payments and the third-party services your product depends on, built on the server where they belong.
Testing and launch
Testing across devices, production hosting, and submission to the App Store and Google Play.
After launch
Fixes, updates and the next features as you learn from real users, through ongoing support or a team that grows with you.
From first idea to growing platform
Discovery, design and build work for startups, and the platforms that followed.
MVP in 10 weeks
Sven Jobs
A mobile-first recruitment app for job seekers and employers. A structured discovery phase set the MVP scope, then we designed and built it for iOS and Android from one shared codebase and launched it in 10 weeks, on time and on budget.
From discovery to rollout
Erin Living
A resident experience platform: iOS and Android apps for residents, a web portal and a building manager dashboard, connected to access control and parcel lockers. 24 weeks from discovery to the first production rollout, and it now runs in multiple residential developments across Australia.
From a founder's idea
WeView
WeView's founder ran a manual property inspection service. After product and technical discovery workshops, we designed the whole digital ecosystem end to end within six weeks: the WeViewer app, booking and admin portals, and a new brand.
After the first MVP
Before You Buy
Its first platform was an MVP built offshore. We designed and built the whole platform again from scratch, after 2 months of discovery and a 9-month build, followed by maintenance and new features.
See more of our work for startups, enterprise and government in our case studies.
Built to keep
Small in scope, not in quality
An MVP should be small. It should not be disposable. These choices cost little at the start and save a rebuild later.
Fewer features, done properly
We cut scope, not corners: sign-in, data access and payments are built properly from the first release.
A mainstream stack
Technologies your next hire will know, so the product is never tied to one team, including ours.
Ready for the next round of questions
The code in a repository your company holds, the architecture written down and the accounts in your name, ready when an investor or a new CTO asks to see them.
Yours once it's paid for
You own the code once the project is paid in full.
How we build an MVP
The same order every time: agree what to build, prove it in design, then build and launch.
Discovery and scope
We work through the problem, the users and the market with you, and agree the smallest set of features that proves the idea.
Quote before the build
You get a fixed quote for the agreed scope before the build starts, so you know what the first release will cost.
Prototype before code
User flows and a clickable prototype you can test with real users before any code is written.
Short sprints, working software
We build in short sprints and show you working software as it lands, so you can change course early.
Launch on web and in the stores
Testing across devices, production deployment and app store submission.
Learn and grow
We help you read what real users do and plan the next release, with us or with your own team.
Why founders build with Rocket Lab
Senior and local
Your MVP is designed and built by our Australian-based team in Sydney and Melbourne, and you work directly with the people doing the work.
Product thinking, not just code
We push back on features that do not serve the first release, so your budget goes on what proves the idea.
Built for production
We build apps used by millions, so we know what production asks of an app, even a first release.
Here after launch
The team that built your MVP can keep it running with app maintenance or add engineers to your own team through team augmentation.
MVP development FAQs
What is an MVP?
A minimum viable product: the first release of a product with only the features it needs to prove that customers want it. It is small in scope, not in quality. Real users should be able to rely on it, and it should be built so the next version extends it rather than replacing it.
How long does it take to build an MVP?
A focused first release usually takes 2 to 3 months, and a larger first product 4 to 6 months. Sven Jobs' MVP launched on iOS and Android in 10 weeks. Discovery confirms the scope and the timeline before the build starts.
How much does MVP development cost?
It depends on scope: the number of screens, user roles, integrations and backend work, and whether you need web, iOS, Android or all three. We give every project a fixed quote after a short discovery phase, and a free consultation is enough for a ballpark.
Do we need product discovery before you build the MVP?
Usually, yes. Discovery is where the problem, the users and the first release's scope are agreed, so the build starts from evidence rather than a feature list. If you have already done that work, we review what you have and build from there. See Product Discovery.
Should our MVP be a web app or a mobile app?
It depends on where your customers will use it. A web app is often the fastest way to test an idea with businesses or on a desktop. A mobile app suits products people use on the move, or that need the camera, location or notifications. When you need both iOS and Android, React Native or Flutter lets one codebase serve both (Flutter vs React Native).
We already have a prototype built with AI tools. Can you build on it?
Often, yes. Some prototypes from tools like Lovable, Bolt or Cursor can be hardened and extended; others are better used as the specification for a proper build. The App Rescue Report tells you which, and what each path would take.
Will we own the code?
Yes. You own the code once the project is paid in full. We work in a repository your company holds, with the hosting and app store accounts in your name.
What happens after the MVP launches?
You learn from real users and plan the next release. We can keep the app running and add features through ongoing support, or add engineers to your own team through team augmentation as you hire.
Related capabilities
We deep dive into your goals, users and market to design a product roadmap that aligns with business outcomes.
iOS, Android and cross-platform apps with React Native and Flutter, built for speed, usability and long-term scalability.
Custom web applications, portals and platforms in React and Next.js, from a first release to the systems a business runs on.
Flutter app design, development, takeovers, upgrades and maintenance for iOS and Android.
New React Native apps, takeovers, upgrades and maintenance for iOS and Android.
Founders on building with us
Founders on taking an idea to launch, and beyond, with Rocket Lab.
1 of 4
Rocket Lab’s ability to help define and execute our business through software in a timely fashion, has been a breath of fresh air and a pleasure to work with.
They took what was just an idea in my head and turned it into a product that’s now live on both the App Store and Google Play. From day one they felt like an extension of our team, not an external agency.
Our business has hundreds of suppliers and thousands of customers so we needed a highly robust structure and that’s exactly what was delivered by Julien, Jen and the RL development team.
Julien and his team are a real pleasure to work with. They are well rounded with a solid understanding of design/user experience best practices as well as diving deep under the hood with solid web and app development capabilities.
Got a problem worth solving? Let's scope your MVP.
Tell us what you want to build, who it is for and where you are today. We will tell you how we would get the first release to launch.
