MVP Plan for PoliLens

1. Core Features and Functionality

Essential Features for MVP

1. Real-Time Legislative Updates: Push notifications for significant changes in legislation relevant to the user’s interests and location.
2. Vote Tracker: Track personal voting history and compare political alignment with elected officials.
3. User Profiles and Customization: Allow users to create profiles that tailor the updates and information they receive based on interests and location.
4. Community Engagement Tools: Facilitate discussions among users about policies, events, and civic activities.
5. Simplified Political Information: Easy-to-digest summaries of legislative matters, broken down into essential points.

Features Deferred to Later Versions

1. Gamification Elements: Reward systems for civic participation and engagement.
2. Comprehensive Educational Resources: In-depth materials for educators and students.
3. Integration with External Civic Platforms: APIs for partnerships with third-party organizations.
4. Social Media Integration: Sharing tools for users to promote engagement on personal platforms.

User Journey and Key Use Cases

• User Onboarding: A guided setup helps users create profiles and specify interests.
• Legislative Alerts: Users receive tailored notifications when their selected representatives introduce or vote on bills.
• Community Discussions: Users can join or initiate discussions about upcoming votes and actions.
• Vote Tracking: Users easily access their voting history and understand their political alignment.

Technical Requirements at a High Level

• Frontend: React.js for web app; React Native for mobile.
• Backend: Node.js with Express.js for server-side handling; PostgreSQL for data management.
• Hosting: AWS Elastic Beanstalk for the app interface; AWS RDS for database hosting.
• APIs: RESTful services for fetching real-time political data and notifications.

2. Feature Prioritization

MoSCoW Analysis

• Must-Have:
  • Real-Time Legislative Updates
  • Vote Tracker
  • User Profiles and Customization
  • Community Engagement Tools
  • Simplified Political Information
• Should-Have:
  • Basic analytics for users to observe their engagement over time.
  • Feedback mechanisms for feature requests.
• Could-Have:
  • Integration with social media for sharing updates by users.
  • Advanced notification settings for specific legislative topics.
• Won’t-Have:
  • Comprehensive educational resources and gamification features in the MVP phase.

Reasoning Behind Prioritization Decisions

Focusing on real-time updates and tailored engagement tools aligns with the core value proposition to simplify access to political information and enhance civic engagement. Features that improve user experience can be added later based on user feedback.

Dependencies Between Features

• User profiles are necessary for customization of notifications and community engagement tools.
• Real-time updates must rely on effective data integration from legislative information sources.

3. Development Timeline and Milestones

Realistic Timeline for MVP Development

• Development Phase: 6-8 months
  • Month 1-2: Market research, finalization of MVP features, wireframes, and prototypes.
  • Month 3-4: Setup backend infrastructure and initial frontend design.
  • Month 5: Develop core features (legislative updates, vote tracker, user profiles).
  • Month 6: Testing, bug fixing, and user feedback collection.
  • Month 7: Community engagement tools and final enhancements.
  • Month 8: MVP launch and initial marketing efforts.

Key Milestones and Checkpoints

• End of Month 2: Prototype review and sign-off.
• End of Month 4: Backend and basic frontend functional prototype ready.
• End of Month 6: Completion of testing phase with user feedback incorporated.
• Launch at Month 8: Rollout of MVP to the target market.

4. Success Metrics and Validation Criteria

KPIs to Measure MVP Success

• User Engagement: Number of users actively using the app weekly.
• Retention Rate: Percentage of users remaining active after 1 month.
• Feature Usage: Tracking interaction with the vote tracker and alerts features.
• Community Engagement: Number of discussions initiated by users within the app.

User Feedback Collection Methods

• In-app surveys and feedback forms post-feature interactions.
• Focus groups after the initial launch phase.
• Monitor social media and community discussions for qualitative insights.

Criteria for Determining When to Iterate or Pivot

• If user engagement does not meet the target of 20% MAU within three months of launch.
• High churn rate (>40% after 1 month) indicating issues in user value perception.
• Feedback indicating consistently requested features or dissatisfaction points.

5. Resource Requirements

Team Composition Needed for Development

• Team Roles:
  • Product Manager: Manages project timelines, features, and user feedback.
  • Frontend Developer: Focused on building the user interface and experience.
  • Backend Developer: Handles server-side logic, database management, and API development.
  • UI/UX Designer: Designs user flows and ensures intuitive navigation.
  • Content Strategist: Develops simplified political content for users.

Estimated Budget Range

• Development Cost: $250,000 - $500,000 (including salaries, software tools, and third-party services).
• Marketing Budget: $50,000 for initial brand awareness and user acquisition campaigns.

Third-Party Tools or Services to Consider

• Auth0: For user authentication and secure data management.
• Twilio: For communication attribution and engagement.
• Algolia: For efficient search functionality within the app.

Technical Infrastructure Needs

• Cloud Hosting Solutions: Scalable cloud services (e.g., AWS) for hosting.
• Content Delivery Network (CDN): To handle global data distribution and reduce load times.

By focusing on critical elements that drive user engagement and community building, PoliLens can build a solid MVP that serves as an effective platform for political engagement and understanding. The outlined plan not only offers a roadmap for development but also establishes the success metrics necessary to validate its impact and refine its features post-launch.