MVP App Planning Checklist

A practical checklist for founders and indie hackers building an MVP with AI coding tools. Define the problem, map the architecture, and export a build-ready prompt — all before writing a line of code.

Table of contents

Phase 1: Define the MVP
Phase 2: Map the architecture
Phase 3: Prepare to build
MVP scope creep traps to avoid
Example: MVP blueprint for a review reply tool
FAQ

This checklist is designed to work with Bluemoonkey's blueprint canvas. You can use it on its own, but generating a blueprint from your answers automates most of Phase 2. For the full planning methodology, see our guide on how to plan an app before coding.

Phase 1: Define the MVP

Define the problem and scope

Problem statement written in one sentence Who has the problem, what's painful, how often. No solution language.
Target user identified Be specific: "local business owners with 20+ Google reviews per month" not "businesses."
Core feature list (maximum 3-5) What must the app do to solve the problem? If you have more than 5, cut. Hard.
One-sentence value proposition "[App] helps [user] do [thing] by [method]." If you can't fill this in, scope is unclear.
What's explicitly NOT in the MVP List features you're cutting. Analytics dashboard? Admin panel? Mobile app? Write them down as "later."
Success metric defined One number that tells you the MVP is working. Signups, replies sent, habits completed. Not "engagement."

Phase 2: Map the architecture

Map every component the app needs

Frontend pages listed (one per screen) What does each page show? What can users do? Don't combine screens — one page, one purpose.
User flows mapped end-to-end From signup to first value to daily use. Step by step, no screens yet.
Backend APIs listed with endpoints GET /api/this, POST /api/that. What each endpoint receives and returns.
Database tables designed with columns Table name + field names. Include foreign keys and relationships.
AI prompts defined (if applicable) Input, task, output for each AI task. Not "use AI to help" — be specific.
Human checkpoints placed Where does a human review before something goes live? Especially for AI-generated content.
External services named by name Stripe for payments, SendGrid for email, Twilio for SMS. Don't say "a payment provider."
Schedulers/cron jobs described "Send daily summary at 9am" not "keep users updated."
Blueprint generated and reviewed Feed your description into Bluemoonkey, review the generated blueprint, adjust nodes.

Phase 3: Prepare to build

Get ready to hand off to AI

Tech stack chosen Frontend framework, backend language, database, auth provider. If unsure, let the AI pick — it has good defaults.
Project directory created Empty folder, initialized with git. git init so you can rollback if the AI goes off track.
Blueprint exported as AI prompt Click export in Bluemoonkey. Copy the structured prompt.
Opening line added to prompt Add: Build this app exactly as described. Start with database schema and auth, then APIs, then frontend pages.
AI coding tool ready Cursor installed (use Agent mode, Ctrl+L) or Claude Code installed (claude in terminal). See our Cursor prompt template or Claude Code prompt template.
Blueprint JSON saved Download your blueprint JSON. This is your source of truth for corrections.

MVP scope creep traps to avoid

Every founder hits these. Recognize them early:

"Just one more feature." No. Ship with 3-5. Add more after users tell you what's missing. You don't know what they need yet.
"Let's add analytics." Analytics are not an MVP feature. Use the database to count users manually. Add a dashboard after you have users.
"We need an admin panel." For most MVPs, you can admin from the database directly or with a tool like Retool. Build a custom admin panel later.
"Let's support multiple platforms." Pick one: web or mobile. Not both. A PWA works on both if you really need it.
"Let's add user roles." MVP has one role: user. Admin actions can be done via database. Add role-based access after validation.
"Let's make it pretty." Function over form for the MVP. A working ugly app beats a beautiful broken one. Polish after validation.

The MVP checklist for AI-built apps is different from traditional MVPs. With Cursor or Claude Code, the cost of adding features is lower — but the cost of a confusing prompt is higher. A clean 5-node blueprint builds faster and more accurately than a bloated 15-node one.

Example: MVP blueprint for a review reply tool

Here's what a completed MVP checklist looks like for a review reply manager — the same app used in our AI Support Triage blueprint:

Phase 1 (Define)

Problem: Local business owners can't keep up with replying to Google reviews, especially negative ones that sit unanswered for days.
Target user: Local business owners with 20+ Google reviews per month.
Core features (3): Fetch reviews, AI-draft replies, approve and post.
Value prop: "Review Reply Manager helps business owners respond to reviews fast by using AI to draft polite replies for human approval."
Not in MVP: Multi-platform (only Google), analytics dashboard, team collaboration, mobile app.
Success metric: Reply rate — percentage of reviews with a response within 24 hours.

Phase 2 (Architecture — generated by Bluemoonkey)

Pages: Dashboard (review list + sentiment), Reply Editor (draft + approve/reject), Settings (connect Google account, tone preference).
APIs: Reviews API (fetch, list), Replies API (create draft, approve, post).
Database: reviews (id, text, rating, source, sentiment, created_at), replies (id, review_id, draft_text, status, approved_by), users (id, email, google_account_id).
AI prompts: Sentiment Analysis (input: review text → output: positive/neutral/negative + confidence), Reply Drafter (input: review + sentiment + tone → output: draft reply).
Checkpoint: Approval Gate — human reviews every draft before posting.

Phase 3 (Build)

Stack: Next.js + PostgreSQL + Supabase Auth (or let Cursor choose).
Export: Blueprint exported as structured prompt.
Tool: Cursor Agent mode, paste prompt, let it build.
Source of truth: Blueprint JSON saved for corrections.

Plan your MVP

Describe your app idea, get a structured blueprint, and export it as a build-ready prompt — all free.

Open Canvas — Free →

FAQ

What should be in an MVP planning checklist?

An MVP planning checklist should cover: problem statement, target user, core feature list (maximum 3-5), user flows, frontend pages, backend APIs, database schema, AI prompts if applicable, human checkpoints, tech stack decisions, and a build-ready prompt for your AI coding tool.

How do I plan an MVP with AI coding tools?

Map your app architecture on a visual canvas like Bluemoonkey, export it as a structured prompt, and paste it into Cursor or Claude Code. The AI builds the full app from your blueprint. You iterate using the blueprint as your source of truth.

How many features should an MVP have?

An MVP should have 3-5 core features maximum. Anything more is scope creep. If you can't describe your app's value in one sentence, you're building too much. Cut features until the app stops being useful — that's your MVP.

Can I use this checklist without Bluemoonkey?

Yes. The checklist works on its own — you can map your architecture in a document or whiteboard. But Bluemoonkey automates Phase 2: you describe the app in plain English and the AI generates the full architecture (pages, APIs, databases, AI prompts, checkpoints) on a visual canvas. You just review and adjust.