When launching a new startup or project it's absolutely crucial to get real user feedback as fast as possible. That's exactly what I did with my new app Polls.io and I couldn't be more happy with the response and feedback I got from releasing it probably a little premature. This allowed me to tweak some things that I probably wouldn't have found on my own. I was able to have real users test my product while also pointing out bugs and suggestions.
Yesterday I launched what many would consider a MVP. I was happy enough with the product that I thought it was a good time to get feedback. I probably could have waited a bit, but I think in the end I made the right choice.
Some of the suggestions/bugs pointed out to me yesterday were:
1) Text would overlap when long(er) questions and answers were posted
2) Decimal places would go out to 10 places when an odd number of votes were received
3) Facebook comments wouldn't always load
4) Tweet buttons didn't properly add title of poll in
5) It's not clear that after you hit the radio button you also have to click "vote"
Since then we've managed to correct or improve on 4 of the 5 main suggestions. Text should no longer overlap. Decimal places are now nonexistent. Facebook comments usually loads (fingers crossed). The tweet button now properly displays the poll title followed by a direct link.
The only thing that we haven't changed is that you have to click "vote" after initially selecting your choice. We're still looking for a bit more feedback on that before switching it. However, it's very likely that a change will come to either make the button more visible or to get rid of it altogether.
I can't stress enough how important launching a bit early was for Polls.io. If I wouldn't have done so I probably wouldn't have corrected these bugs yet and wouldn't know if there was actually a market for an app like this. By releasing it early and gaining feedback, I was able to greatly improve my app in under 24 hours.
So if you're considering releasing an app soon... do it as soon as you feel it is usable! Get some feedback and improve it from there. Plus, you'll quickly find out just how useful people think your app really is.
