Ask HN: Is it better building an app or a website for an mvp?

[Mister_Y]

I am developing my own startup and thinking about the next step I am wondering whether develop an Android app or a website. Is a social platform where users can interact. I have knowledge in Android so I could develop the app, and HTML&CSS but not enough to create the website.

The question is, what will be more efficient, to create the app, or learn more about lets say PHP and create the web, or maybe use a CMS as Elgg to create it

[startupdiscuss]

I say website, and this is why:

Early on you'll be doing a lot of A/B testing, making changes, getting feedback, making mistakes and so on. All of this is easier in a website.

Facebook's early app was considered a mistake and they "wasted" two years before they switched to native but I think they iterated like mad during those two years and really learned fast.

[Mister_Y]

Thanks for your answer, I agree that with a website the iterating process is probably faster.

[gdfer]

I'd recommend walking into a couple homeless shelters, volunteering there and getting to know the user base. I'm sure you could get some face time with a director or staff there and ask them what they think about your ideas. I bet they will have a lot of feedback for you. One of their primary jobs may be to connect their clients to the community and each other -something you are trying to do too.

I have spent a fair bit of time in homeless shelters and working with immigrants so I'll share a bit of my experience there. I bet more homeless folks have cell phones than you may think. If they are in an urban area, they will likely be able to get access to the internet via wifi. A number of homeless I have known have a cell phone with apps and use it for texting, but don't have a phone or data package.

If you're hoping to connect homeless & refugees to jobs, then you'll need to connect them to the established community and not just each other.

App or website ... If it's a social app, is it something they'll need connectivity for all the time in order to use? If so, then you could probably go either way. If they could technically use features of the application offline, then you could go the app route.

I've done a lot of volunteer work in this area so I'd be curious to follow along how you're doing if you have things to share.

[Mister_Y]

This is a great answer, thanks!

Do you have an email? I will update you when I have talked to some shelters / homeless people and when I get some work done

[radnam]

As others have said here, you really need to understand the needs of your users and build accordingly. Also, do not get bogged down by technology, start with shared google sheets/forms if that gets your work done while still meeting the needs of your users.

[itamarst]

You should have some sense of who the users are and what they would use. You're building it for them, not for your own convenience - what would they prefer?

[Mister_Y]

Thanks for your answer. Indeed! I'm not sure, the main mission of my idea is to offer homeless/refugees a way of connecting to other people (it could be just for chatting or for meeting and offering some jobs in order to allow them to integrate).

The main problem here is that these people won't have an easy access to the internet so it might be easier a website but otherwise I think an app would be more suitable.

(probably worth go to the streets and ask them).

[jakobegger]

All the refugees I've met have mobile phones and use Facebook for connecting with other people just like everyone else.