The Prototype Sprint · Prototype and MVP development
Test your product idea with real people before you commit the full budget.
We pin down the one question your idea rests on, then design and build a clickable prototype or proof of concept that answers it, with a clear recommendation for what to build next.
What's inside The Prototype SprintOverview
What The Prototype Sprint gives the business
Proof of concept development South Africa founders can act on answers one question, clearly, before the larger budget is committed.
The real question first
We name the assumption the idea rests on, rather than building around a vague sense of possibility.
The idea given form
A prototype turns a discussion into something people can see, understand and judge.
Only what matters tested
The scope stays on the behaviour or proposition that needs an answer.
A clearer next decision
You get a concrete basis for deciding what should happen next, and what should not.
The next build in view
The prototype shows what belongs in the next build and what can wait.
The starting point kept
You own the prototype, the code, the accounts and the repository outright.
Go from an open product question to a concrete basis for the next build.
The idea gets enough shape to examine it properly before more is committed.
5 steps
How the Sprint runs
Name the question
We begin with the one question the idea rests on and define what needs to be learned.
Set the proof
We agree the scope, the behaviours and the criteria the prototype has to address.
Design the path
We map the key user flow and design only the interface needed to make the idea understandable.
Build the prototype
We develop the agreed proof of concept, with the focus on the question rather than on finish.
Decide the next move
You receive the prototype and a clear record of what it establishes for the next product decision.
What's inside
What's inside The Prototype Sprint
Things that arrive, not activities we perform.
- Product hypothesis brief
- Prototype scope and test criteria
- User-flow map and screen map
- Interface design set
- Clickable prototype
- Proof-of-concept codebase
- Technical feasibility note
- Feedback capture template
- Next-build recommendation
- Ownership handover pack
Everything inside
The disciplines inside The Prototype Sprint
Product thinking, interface design and development, focused on one question worth answering. That is proof of concept development South Africa businesses can make a decision from.
Also coversMVP development, Proof of concept, Usability testing.
On its own, or after the Foundation
Bring us in for The Prototype Sprint alone, or start with the Foundation
If your brand is already settled and written down, we work from what you have and scope this on its own. If it is not, the Commercial Foundation hears from your customers why they choose you first, so this work has one clear reason to carry. Either way, the scope, the dates and what you own are agreed in writing before you commit.
Before you ask
The questions that come up first
Is the Prototype Sprint the final product?
No. It is a focused prototype, MVP or proof of concept that answers a defined product question and informs the next decision. The Product Build is where the full product is made.
When is a prototype the wrong first step?
When the question is not about the product at all. If the doubt is who the buyer is or why they would choose you, a Commercial Foundation answers it faster and for less than any build. We will say which one you need before anything is drawn.
What do we own after the Sprint?
Everything: the prototype, the code, the accounts and the repository. The starting point stays yours to build from, with us or without us.
Before the larger build, get specific
Tell us the question your product idea needs to answer.