Prototype

A prototype is a representation or preliminary implementation used to investigate selected aspects of an idea. It may represent appearance, interaction, a physical mechanism, or a service process. Fidelity should fit the question; a prototype need not be a miniature version of the entire final product.

A prototype makes a selected part of an idea inspectable before the whole system is built. Decide which uncertainty matters: whether people understand the offer, whether a mechanism can work, whether a physical arrangement fits, or whether a workflow is usable. The representation needs fidelity in that dimension, while other parts can remain deliberately incomplete.

Tell participants what is real, simulated, or absent so their feedback is interpretable. A polished demonstration may invite assumptions about reliability that it cannot support; a rough sketch may fail to convey the interaction being tested. The right level of detail depends on the question, not a universal preference for low fidelity.

When to use it

When building or iterating on products; when evaluating market opportunities; when deciding resource allocation; when scaling operations.

How it can help

Directly applicable to building, launching, and scaling products and businesses. Helps prioritize actions, identify market opportunities, and build sustainable competitive advantages.