It’s frustrating having a visionary startup idea, but lacking the means to bring it to life.

Many entrepreneurs struggle to turn their ideas into tangible products. And if you’re not coming from a product or engineering background, it’s even harder. But you can only get so far with wireframes…

So what are your options? 

We’ve helped over 1,700 startups on this journey, so we’ve seen first hand what works and doesn’t work. 

This blog will take you through the 3 most common no-code options, with free tips and feedback from the Million Labs team. 

But first, let’s quickly cover some of the basics:

What is an MVP? 

A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is the most simplified version of your product that still delivers core functionality and value to users. It's a strategic approach for testing your startup idea with minimal resources, allowing you to gather essential feedback, validate market demand, and iterate quickly. 

By focusing on the essential features, an MVP helps you launch faster, reduce development costs, and mitigate risks, making it a vital step for non-technical founders looking to bring their ideas to life efficiently.

Why No-Code?

No-code enables you to build functional applications without writing any code or having knowledge of programming. Utilising intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-built templates, no-code platforms make app development accessible to non-technical founders. This approach significantly reduces development time and costs, allowing you to quickly bring your startup idea to life. With no-code, you can focus on your vision and business strategy while the technical complexities are handled by powerful, user-friendly tools. This approach aligns perfectly with the MVP philosophy: test your idea quickly and economically. 

Among various platforms, Bubble is a popular choice (and our preferred tool at Million Labs), offering a great balance of flexibility and ease of use. However, if your MVP is a simple mobile app, platforms like Adalo might be more suitable. Assess your MVP’s scope and choose a platform that aligns best with your needs (or just ask us).

Here are the 3 most common options for getting your MVP build with no-code:

Option 1: DIY MVP with No-Code Tools:

If you’re up for a challenge and have time on your hands, you could learn a no-code tool like Bubble or Webflow and build the MVP yourself. 

It can be tempting to roll up your sleeves and get it done yourself, but here are some things to bear in mind:

• Your time as cost: As a founder, your time is valuable. By learning a new tool from scratch, you may end up spending more (in terms of your time) than you would hiring a professional to do it in half the time. 

• Compromising on quality: If you’re not careful, you end up taking a long time to create something that isn’t as good as you’d hoped.
  
  

• Expensive mistakes: You may end up having to hire in professional help if you make a mistake or hit a blocker with your knowledge (and at that point, you may as well have just paid someone from the beginning). 

That’s not to rule it out completely. If you are set on the DIY approach, here’s when we think it can work well: 

• You’re design-savvy: If you’re naturally skilled in product design and pick up new tools quickly, you’ll have a better chance of DIY working for you.
  
  

• Time on your side: Only embark on this journey if you have the time. Seriously, you’ll regret it if not. And you’ll probably end up paying someone to fix it anyway.
  
  

• Seek support to get you started: Don’t struggle on your own! We run a free Bubble.io bootcamp to get you ambitious DIYers off to a great start: Find out more.

Option 1 Summary: 

Timeframe: ~6 months
Approx Cost: <$1,000 (but remember your time = money) Potential for development delays if you hit a learning snag.

Option 2: Guided No-Code MVP Development

This is a middle ground option where you still learn no-code tools yourself, but have support from an agency for the trickier parts. 

This is a good balance between the control many founders want over their own MVP development, and the expertise that stops you making costly mistakes. 

Some things to bear in mind:

• You still have to learn: The requirements of plenty of time and an aptitude for working with build platforms still very much stand here (sorry). 
  
  

• Higher cost investment: As you’ll be hiring an agency to support you, there will be a cash investment on top of your time investment in learning. 

Why it can work: 

• Lower risk of mistakes: If you’re confident you can build most of the MVP yourself, and just harness the pros to take on the challenging bits, you’re proactively paying to save yourself from making the mistakes (preferable to paying someone to clean up your mess afterwards).
  
  

• Faster delivery: Naturally, with the support of professionals, you’ll get your MVP over the line quicker. If you have the time to be hands on but have a tighter deadline, this is a good option. 

Option 2 Summary: 

Timeframe: ~4 months
Approx Cost: $1,000 - 3,000

Option 3: Outsourcing your MVP to No-Code Pros:

If you know your time is better spent elsewhere and you want to guarantee speed and quality, then working with a no-code agency to deliver your MVP is the route for you. 

Some things to bear in mind:

• Cost investment: This option has the highest cost investment, so you have to be in a position to make that call. But remember to see your time as a cost too, and this enables it to be used elsewhere.
  
  

• Less control: As with any form of outsourcing, you put your faith in professionals to bring your idea to life. If you’re prone to control-freak behaviour, you might not like it…
  
  

• Sacrificing the opportunity to upskill: Unlike the other options, this one is hands-off for you. So if deep down you want to learn no-code product development, now might be the best time.

That being said, there’s something very satisfying about delegating to experts and allowing you time to focus on whatever it is that you do best. Here’s why we think outsourcing is a very valid option: 

• Time gained back: Your startup doesn’t have to be put on hold while you watch hours of YouTube explainer videos on how to build forms that link to your CRM… you can focus on where you know you add value and leave the rest to the pros.
  
  

• Quickest option: This is the quickest way to get your MVP to market. Without a doubt. If time is of the essence, it’s a worthwhile investment.
  
  

• Confidence in quality: Reduce any doubt of things being broken behind the scenes, or settling for a poor user experience because you couldn’t work it out or didn’t have time. Working with a no-code agency ensures the quality of your MVP.

Option 3 Summary: 

Timeframe: 2-3 months
Approx Cost: $5,000 - 10,000

So there you have it! Choosing how you’ll take your startup from idea -> MVP obviously requires careful consideration – factoring in resources, timeframes, skill sets and personal inclination to learn something new. But we hope our summaries provide a bit of guidance. 

How Million Labs Can Help

At Million Labs, we specialise in helping non-technical founders bring their startup ideas to life through no-code development. Our process is designed to be founder-centric, ensuring your vision is clearly translated into a functional MVP.

Learn more about how we can help you turn your idea into reality. Build your MVP today