I’m a strong advocate for early prototyping. I believe that the sooner you can assemble and review a working prototype of a product/service, the better.
The prototype I’m referring to is not an MVP — Minimal Viable Product. I’m talking about the stage before the MVP, what the developer gets as the initial result of the development process, which is not yet intended for public use, testing, or even demonstration to higher-ups. The main idea is to have something tangible, something you can «touch» and see.
Such early builds allow you to evaluate the chosen direction, reconsider decisions and goals made during the planning stage, and more quickly find optimal solutions for unforeseen issues.
When it might not be suitable:
- strict specifications. If the development and requirements of the project are governed by detailed technical assignments or external stakeholders and clients, making changes based on a prototype might be impossible.
- simple projects. For very small projects, prototyping can be redundant.
- limited resources. Time, money, people — all resources will be spent on creating a prototype.
The benefits:
- identifying risks/issues early on. At this stage, risks and errors are cheaper than later on.
- quick feedback. Key functional aspects become apparent sooner than waiting for the full development cycle.
- enhanced team communication. The product under development becomes tangible for the team, expectations disappear, and a reality for discussion emerges.
Prototype!