Why QA Testing Is an Essential Part of MPV Product Launch

Recently, Airkod Product Development released the $100 000 beta version of the platform for crypto traders, allowing real-time analysis of most cryptocurrencies' growth and decline charts and historical data. Artem Purlo, commercial director at Airkod, told us how the team coped with this task and why the lack of quality testing for such projects is inefficient. 

What was the task?

During the initial discussions with the client, we discussed the prospects of launching the project within 3-3.5 months, taking into account the scope of work, and assessed it as unlikely (50% probability of launching a «working» product) and high-risk (90% probability of failure). Here’s why we came to this conclusion.

1. Lack of technical documentation.

We had a task list with brief descriptions, such as «clicking the button should trigger the console and display specific information.» While this may be clear from a business logic perspective, there are difficulties when operating in technical language. Frankly, almost all new projects start with such initial data, and our company, Airkod, always has (and should have) a contingency plan that allows us to achieve the desired result.

2. Lack of code testing.

If you thought the client was a «newbie,» you are mistaken. The client is a large holding company with extensive investment experience and a record of creating new products for over 20 years. I can’t disclose the exact location, but it’s a very wealthy region in East Asia.

The scope of work involved a team of two front-end and two back-end developers. More than 1,800 hours of work were planned, with a limited budget covering development and project management but not including testing, which should have allocated an additional 30-40% of the time, depending on the specific project.

The work process

We used our standard working method to avoid risks and preserve our reputation:

1. It was breaking tasks into two-week sprints with daily meetings. Within one hour, we could review the project's current state, ensure it is aligned with the requirements, and make adjustments at control points.

Tools used: Trello, Gantt charts, Notion, Google Spreadsheets, meetings.

2. We held daily meetings with the design team. Here, it was essential to balance impressive design layouts and the realism of their implementation: the more animations and effects, the more work for front-end developers.

Tools used: Figma, Notion, meetings.

3. We prioritized tasks and deferred secondary tasks to a post-MVP stage. It’s easy to lose focus and add too much functionality, so we always stick to the initial market entry strategy and use common sense to understand what we can temporarily forgo or how to replace certain features.

Why we didn't use TDD (Test Driven Development)

We could have started the project by writing code for testing immediately. This method is called Test Driven Development (TDD) and is crucial for large and complex projects. However, due to limited time, we used a simpler scheme:

Tools used: GitHub.

The result

We released the project with a one-month delay. The reasons for this delay were twofold:

1. Addition of several new tasks to enhance functionality.
2. Bug fixes.

As we had advised, the client initially anticipated that the absence of technical documentation and testing could delay 1.5-2 months.

Currently, the product is undergoing closed testing with a group of investors. We are receiving feedback on the quality of the platform, fixing any bugs that arise, and preparing for the next stage of developing a full-fledged product version.

Conclusions

1. Including a product testing phase when launching an MVP guarantees the project’s release within a specific timeframe. With testing, the likelihood of success increases. 
2. Lack of technical documentation and code testing can postpone the release date by several weeks or months, depending on the project and the developers’ expertise.

The opinions of the authors of the guest post may not coincide with the position of the editors and specialists of Netpeak Agency.