We did an MVP as well, but we also learned a lot from a quick 5 questions survey. We got 60 answers from our target market, identified and confirmed pain points and got our initial beta testers this way. We just asked people to fill it out and spread the word on FB and Twitter.

Would be great if you could share the outline of the survey (or the survey directly) - I've been having a hard time nailing the right type of questions.

I'm a Code Academy student, here in Chicago. Obviously I love the concept otherwise I wouldn't invest $ and 12 weeks for this. It's not just the stuff you learn, it's also a lot about the great group of students who have really been helping each other. It's about the mentors and the people who can answer your questions as you learn as well. And Chicago's tech community's response has been outstanding. I'm not a CS major but this will give me a solid foundation to be a programmer and continue to learn.