--- title: Developing Apps in a Vacuum (Sound familiar?) - Servoy description: When I started my first software company in the midst of the dot-com boom, a product comparison kind of service, we needed to build image: https://servoy.com/hubfs/blog-servoy-random-imgaes/organized-archive-with-ring-binders-2021-08-26-22-39-51-utc-min.jpg --- - [github](https://github.com/servoy) - [documentation](https://docs.servoy.com/) - [forum](https://forum.servoy.com) - [login](https://admin.servoy-cloud.eu/solution/svyCloud/index.html) [![Servoy-logo big](https://servoy.com/hubfs/Servoy-logo%20big.svg) ](https://servoy.com) [![Book a demo](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21341454/ebe94e89-0b21-4092-bb43-3b637fffff2d.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/21341454/ebe94e89-0b21-4092-bb43-3b637fffff2d) [![Start for free](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21341454/4dba1fa1-3e55-41ae-bf84-87e530238d88.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/21341454/4dba1fa1-3e55-41ae-bf84-87e530238d88) - [documentation](https://wiki.servoy.com/) - [![Group 1517](https://servoy.com/hubfs/Servoy%202023/Images/Group%201517.svg)Login](https://admin.servoy-cloud.eu/solution/svyCloud/index.html) - Platform [Design](https://servoy.com/platform/design) ![interface-edit-brush-2](https://servoy.com/hubfs/Product%20pages%20icons/interface-edit-brush-2.svg) ###### Design Design powerful enterprise applications. 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Gain a total overview. - Industry From scratch Legacy modernization **NEW** Enterprise Cloud  [ Back to overview ](https://servoy.com/blog) # Developing Apps in a Vacuum (Sound familiar?) November 7, 2017 • 2 minutes read When I started my first software company in the midst of the dot-com boom, a product comparison kind of service, we needed to build the application from scratch and hired a bunch of the smartest software developers anywhere. Long story short, after 9 months we had had 6 rewrites of the backend infrastructure and not much to actually show for it, let alone a website or application we could demo to investors. This is, by the way, when I met Jan here at Servoy and his team who came in and saved the day. ## How an MPV Can Save the Day If I only knew then, what I know now. In hindsight, I would have given gold for understanding the concept of a minimum viable product or MVP (to be used ideally in combination with a UX-first approach). The way it works is like this: Instead of going bottom-up and building the complete infrastructure first, we now recommend our customers to focus on the smallest possible minimum viable product we can help them build. This MVP should be commercially viable (for example, a very light-weight version of their app), or sometimes it’s focused on dashboarding, a “sexy” visualization tool to sell to the management level. In any case it’s an invaluable tool that collects immediate feedback from users. ## Light at the End of the Tunnel Modernizing a business application the traditional way feels like waiting and looking for light at the end of the tunnel–a long, dark tunnel. One that goes nowhere fast. And then, when your business application is finally ready, either customers react differently than you had hoped, or new competitors with “point-solutions” pop-up and ruin the launch. ## Don’t Make Us Beg Please…whatever you do, give the MVP a try first. We get it here at Servoy. We know you can’t launch until your product is completely ready, every module with all its beautiful functionality. This may be true for your existing customers, but not necessarily for new customers that may have a need for a less complete app. In any case you’ll need feedback from users sooner, not later. ## Up Next Your application is huge and complex. Stay tuned for the next Servoy blog post where we talk about how to “eat the elephant.” Happy coding! [Ron van der Burg ](https://servoy.com/content/author/ron-van-der-burg) Share this article via ![](https://servoy.com/hubfs/Servoy%202023/Images/email-action-send-2%201.svg) [![](https://servoy.com/hubfs/Servoy%202023/Images/messaging-whatsapp%201.svg)](whatsapp://send?text=Developing%20Apps%20in%20a%20Vacuum%20(Sound%20familiar?)-https://servoy.com/content/developing-apps-in-a-vacuum-sound-familiar) ![](https://servoy.com/hubfs/Servoy%202023/Images/social-media-facebook-1%201.svg) ![](https://servoy.com/hubfs/Servoy%202023/Images/professional-network-linkedin%201.svg) ![](https://servoy.com/hubfs/Servoy%202023/Images/social-media-twitter%201.svg) [ Back to overview ](https://servoy.com/blog) The end ##### Related articles ###### [What made Reflecta choose Servoy as frontend for Progress?](https://servoy.com/content/what-made-reflecta-choose-servoy-as-frontend-for-progress) [Servoy News](https://servoy.com/content/tag/servoy-news) [Third party news](https://servoy.com/content/tag/third-party-news) January 30, 2015 • 1 minutes read [Read more](https://servoy.com/content/what-made-reflecta-choose-servoy-as-frontend-for-progress) ###### [Are You Ready for a Web Browser-Based IDE?](https://servoy.com/content/are-you-ready-for-a-web-browser-based-ide) [Opinions](https://servoy.com/content/tag/opinions) January 26, 2015 • 3 minutes read [Read more](https://servoy.com/content/are-you-ready-for-a-web-browser-based-ide) ###### [From VFP Application to Servoy Solution Success Story: Michael Sedita, CEO of MS Health Software](https://servoy.com/content/from-vfp-application-to-servoy-solution-success-story-michael-sedita-ceo-of-ms-health-software) June 21, 2011 • 1 minutes read [Read more](https://servoy.com/content/from-vfp-application-to-servoy-solution-success-story-michael-sedita-ceo-of-ms-health-software) ##### Join 30k+ developers that stay on top of the latest low code insights! customer cases insights and reports relevant news [![Servoy-logo big](https://servoy.com/hubfs/Servoy-logo%20big.svg) ](https://servoy.com) ###### Platform ###### Industries ###### 4GL ###### Developers ###### Customers ###### Resources ###### Company ###### Solutions ©2026 Servoy B.V. 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