15 Essential Tools for Founders in 2025Sam Crosher, CTO @ VerticodeDecember 6, 2024, 9 min read
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Building your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is an exciting product phase for any founder, but it’s a complex process filled with challenges. For first-time founders, the path to startup success can feel overwhelming, but the right tools can make all the difference. By simplifying workflows, improving collaboration, and saving time, these essential tools for founders empower you to focus on what matters most; creating a product your customers will love.
These MVP tools help with every stage of your journey - from ideation to launch - while keeping affordability and efficiency in mind. Whether you’re brainstorming ideas, gathering feedback, or preparing for a successful startup launch, these tools are here to help.
Design Tools
1. Canva
Canva is a beginner-friendly platform that lets founders create professional visuals, even without a design background. From pitch decks to mockups, it’s perfect for presenting your MVP to stakeholders or crafting social media content. Canva’s free plan offers plenty of features and its drag-and-drop functionality makes it accessible for everyone.
Use Cases
Design pitch desk to secure investor interest
Create landing page visuals to validate your product idea
Craft social media content to advertise your MVP
Project Management and Collaboration Tools
2. Trello
Building an MVP is all about organization and keeping your MVP development on track. Internally, your team can use Trello to manage tasks visually using Kanban boards, which are great for tracking progress and prioritizing tasks. Its simplicity and flexibility make it ideal for startups working in agile sprints.
Use Cases
Plan and track MVP milestones
Organize tasks for team members to streamline collaboration
3. Notion
For founders juggling multiple responsibilities, Notion acts as your second brain. Use it to manage notes, documentation, and project timelines - all in one place. Notion combines flexibility and customization, helping you organize your startup’s ideas and resources.
Use Cases
Document your startup’s goals and MVP roadmap
Build knowledge bases for your team and access important resources
4. Slack
Communication is at the backbone to every startup success story. Slack keeps your team connected with channels, integration, and quick messaging. It reduces the need for endless email threads and makes collaboration seamless, even for remote teams.
Use Cases
Create channels for “MVP Features” or “User Feedback” to remain organized
Integrate with tools like Trello to receive task updates directly in Slack
Productivity and Automation tools
5. Loom
Loom has revolutionized communication by enabling you to record video messages and share updates. Whether you’re demoing a new feature or onboarding users, Loom saves time by replacing lengthy meetings. It allows asynchronous communication, keeping your team productive without interrupting their focus.
Use Cases
Share product updates with stakeholders
Create tutorial videos for beta testers
6. Calendly
Founders often struggle to coordinate meetings with users, partners, or investors. Calendly solves this problem by letting others book meetings based on your availability. It streamlines the scheduling process and integrates with tools like Zoom to make meeting logistics effortless.
Use Cases
Schedule interviews with potential users to validate your MVP
Set up investor calls during your startup launch phase
Analytics and User Feedback Tools
7. SurveyMonkey
Understanding customer needs is critical to building an MVP that resonates. SurveyMonkey enables you to create surveys that gather actionable insights from your target audience. Templates and analytics make it easy to collect and interpret feedback.
Use Cases
Validate your MVP concept by surveying early adopters
Test new features or designs before launch
8. PickFu
Get instant feedback on key decisions with PickFu. The platform allows you to run polls with real users, helping you make informed decisions about logos, designs, or product features. PickFu provides fast and reliable insights to help you stay agile.
Use Cases
Test two landing page designs to see which resonates more
Poll users on your startup's tagline or brand name
9. Typeform
Typeform turns surveys into conversations, encouraging higher response rates. Its intuitive design ensures users feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. The polished interface helps establish credibility with early adopters.
Use Cases
Collect feedback from beta users post-testing
Gather sign-ups for your MVP launch list
Marketing and Analytics Tools
10. MailChimp
Build awareness before your MVP launch; marketing your MVP is just as important as building it. Mailchimp helps you design email campaigns, build landing pages, and track audience engagement. Mailchimp’s automation features make it easy to nurture leads with minimal effort.
Use Cases
Build an email list of potential customers before your startup launch
Send updates about product progress and exclusive early access offers
11. Buffer
Social media is a powerful way to connect with potential customers, and Buffer makes it easy to schedule and manage posts across platforms. It simplifies the process of maintaining an active presence online, even with a small team.
Use Cases
Promote your MVP launch on LinkedIn, Instagram, and other social media platforms
Share milestones, updates, or customer testimonials to build trust
12. Hotjar
To refine your MVP, you need to know how users interact with it. Hotjar provides heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys that reveal where users click, scroll, and get stuck. It offers actionable insights that help your user experience.
Use Cases
Identify friction points in your product’s navigation
Use heatmaps to optimize landing pages for conversions
Financial and Administrative Tools
13. Xero
Managing finances can be daunting for new founders. Xero provides cloud-based accounting software that helps you track expenses, manage invoices, and stay on top of your budget. It’s easy to use, even for founders with little financial expertise.
Use Cases
Track your MVP development budget in real-time
Generate invoices for early customers or partners
14. Docusign
Partnerships and agreements are crucial during the MVP phase. Docusign lets you send and sign digital contracts securely, eliminating the need for physical paperwork. It saves time and adds a layer of professionalism to your operations.
Use Cases
Finalize NDAs with beta testers
Close partnership deals quickly during your startup launch phase
15. Stripe
If your MVP involves transactions, Stripe simplifies payment processing. Whether you’re testing subscription models or accepting early sales, Stripe is a reliable and scalable solution. Its developer-friendly APIs make it easy to integrate, even for tech-light startups.
Use Cases
Set up payment forms to collect revenue from your first customers
Test different pricing models before committing
Bonus Tool: Verticode Portal
As a Verticode customer, you’ll gain access to the Verticode Portal, an all-in-one hub for managing your MVP development.
This tool is specifically designed to help founders streamline collaboration during development sprints. You can provide feedback to the development team and report and resolve bugs efficiently.
Use Case
Use the Verticode Portal to ensure your MVP stays on track, aligned with your vision and ready for a successful launch.
Set Your Startup Up for Success
The right tools can make all the difference during your founder journey. These tools simplify workflows, improve collaboration, and help you focus on what truly matters: building a product that solves real problems.
Are you ready to launch your startup?
Let’s turn your vision into a reality. From development expertise to the intuitive Verticode Portal, we’re here to help you achieve startup success.