A Platform that Revolutionised Professional Networking

LinkedIn, the world's largest professional networking platform, has transformed the way professionals connect, collaborate, and build their careers. After its humble beginning, LinkedIn has emerged as a global leader, connecting millions of professionals across various industries.  

The platform has an estimated 900 million users worldwide and 3 new members sign up on LinkedIn every second! 

The Idea

LinkedIn was founded in December 2002 by Reid Hoffman and the founding team members from PayPal and Socialnet.com. The team identified a gap in the market for a platform that focused on professional connections, envisioning a digital network where professionals could showcase their skills, connect with peers, and access career opportunities.  

LinkedIn’s main objective was to create an online platform where professionals could connect and leverage their networks to advance their careers. The concept was refined through extensive market research and analysis. 

The MVP Stage

LinkedIn's MVP was officially launched on May 5, 2003. The initial release primarily targeted professionals in the United States, concentrating on industries such as technology, finance, and consulting. This targeted approach helped LinkedIn to focus its resources and grow organically within specific professional communities.  

The MVP development process played a crucial role in the early stages of LinkedIn's journey. LinkedIn followed a systematic approach, allowing the team to launch, gather feedback, iterate, and refine the product based on user and industry needs.  

To create the MVP, the LinkedIn team identified the core features necessary to deliver value to users. These features included creating a professional profile, connecting with colleagues, searching for job opportunities, and joining industry-specific groups. By focusing on these fundamental functionalities, the team ensured a viable product that addressed key user needs.  

Later Stages

LinkedIn launched a mobile version of the website in February 2008. 

In June 2016, Microsoft announced that it would acquire LinkedIn, which would be the second largest acquisition made by Microsoft to date. Soon after LinkedIn's acquisition, its new desktop version was introduced which was meant to make the user experience seamless across mobile and desktop versions.  

In addition, other changes were made according to the feedback received and features that were not heavily being used were removed.  

Key Takeaways from LinkedIn’s Story

1. The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) development process plays a crucial role during the early stages. It allows the teams to validate their ideas, gather feedback, make iterative improvements based on user needs, reduce the time to market, and minimise initial investment. 

2. Deliver value and fulfil the platform’s primary objective by focusing on core features that address key user needs during the initial stages. 

3. The iterative development based on user feedback and market demands allows for refining features, enhancing user experience, and staying ahead of the competition.  

How We Help

At DoganTech, we understand the importance of developing a successful Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to launch your innovative ideas and achieve your business objectives. Our team of experienced professionals can assist you throughout the MVP development process, leveraging our expertise to help you create a winning product. Book a call with us to begin your MVP journey!