Ideally you can launch your "absolute minimum" while spending nothing except your own time. Put up a free landing page with some enticing copy, and/or set up a

Ideally you can launch your "absolute minimum" while spending nothing except your own time. Put up a free landing page with some enticing copy, and/or set up a free blog and start writing about your subject. You'll end up learning how viable your product is before you even have to build it. Once you're ready to get a "functional minimum" developed, check out a firm like Prontotype http://prontotype.us/ http://prontotype.us/ that specializes in MVP development. You'll probably spend 5-10K at this stage, depending on how simple your idea is. You can also try the outsourcing or freelancing route, but the cost and quality can often vary quite wildly.