SaaS MVP rescue
A SaaS startup went live on an MVP bought from an agency, with tens of critical bugs and no way to fix them. In 3 months every critical bug was removed, and the team had a workflow to manage faults through to resolution with their clients.
To clear every critical bug from a live product.
All removed, from tens at the start.
Every fault tracked from report to resolution with the client.
Live, with customers, and the product kept breaking.
A SaaS startup had bought its MVP from an agency and taken it live.
On paper that is a sensible way to get to market. In practice the agency had moved on, and the founders were left owning a product they had not built and could not easily fix.
Customers were paying, and customers were feeling every problem. Each critical bug landed on the people the business most needed to keep happy.
Client name withheld.
Not one bug. No way to fix bugs.
- 01
Tens of critical bugs
Live faults that stopped customers doing what they came to the platform to do.
- 02
No software development lifecycle
No repeatable way to plan, build, test and ship fixes, so every fix was a one-off.
- 03
No project management
No shared view of what was broken, who owned it or when it would be fixed.
- 04
Tests in the wrong places
The tests that existed did not cover the core areas customers used, so a poor experience reached customers first.
Fix the product, and fix how it gets fixed.
Critical bugs first. Work through the critical bugs hurting customers, so the platform was usable again for the people paying for it.
A software development lifecycle. In plain English, a repeatable way to plan, build, test and ship fixes. Every change follows the same path, so quality stops depending on luck.
Tests where customers actually go. Testing pointed at the core areas customers rely on, so the journeys that matter most are checked before anything is released.
A fault workflow that includes the client. A way to track and manage every fault from the moment it is reported through to resolution, with clients kept in the loop until it is closed.
Clear jobs for the team and the client.
The team’s job
- Log every fault in one place
- Triage it, agree severity and assign an owner
- Fix and test it through the agreed lifecycle
- Release it and keep the record up to date
The client’s side
- Report faults and know they have been heard
- See progress without chasing
- Confirm the fix works for them
- Close the fault together with the team
Buying an MVP is fine. Owning it is the hard part.
If you have a product you did not build, customers feeling the cracks and no clear way to fix things, this is the shape: stop the bleeding on critical bugs, put a simple lifecycle around every change, test the journeys customers really use and give clients a clear line from fault to fix.
Living with an MVP you did not build?
Let’s talk about where it is breaking and whether CTO Consulting is the right way to get it under control.
Or email carl@carldeantucker.com