Build a Prototype First

A good prototype is very important for a startup as it is the first offering by the startup which gets to interact with the target market. The most important deliverable we can get from this is good, authentic market feedback.

A good prototype should

: convey exactly what the startup intends to do. Never confuse the product by adding features which do adhere to the core business idea. We tend to add more features to the product so as to make it more acceptable by our TG. For example, if I am trying to create a website to sell premium teas, I should not add other beverages to increase acceptance by the market. The aim of the prototyping stage is purely to get a feedback for the core business idea. So build a prototype which does exactly that.

: be a minimal product which can be easily modified. Sorry for being repetitive but the aim of prototyping is purely to get market feedback and make necessary amendments before going full steam ahead.

Prototyping is really important and is a stage which a lot of us tend to ignore completely. We go with our gut and end building a final product without taking any market feedback. This leads to a waste in resources as once we enter the market and get feedback, making amendments to a more complicated product is a much more costly affair.