DEVELOP
Now that you have an idea, its time to begin developing a prototype.
Most Importantly, KEEP IT SIMPLE!
Your first prototype is another way to receive feedback on your idea. Simply put, the faster you can receive this feedback the better. Consider this example from Lean StartUp by Eric Reiss. Eric Reiss is the cofounder of IMVU, an online environment where users can create 3D avatars and mingle with the other users. While developing the software, he and his team initially thought that they would need to allow the avatars to move smoothly through the virtual environment avoiding obstacles. After all, this was the standard in games such as Sims. However, to save development time, they decided to just have the avatars teleport from spot to spot. After launching this version of the product, they were surprised to find that the customers loved the teleportation as it saves them time. After all, there is no benefit to watching an avatar walk across the screen. Thus, the team saved months of development and ended up creating a product that customers loved.
MVP
When developing a new product start with an M.V.P., minimal viable product. Simply, this is the prototype that you can build with the least amount of effort that still serves your purpose.
Examples:
1) You want to develop an app that allows users to view potential wait times at local restaurants.
MVP – Start a Twitter account and tweet wait times of local restaurants. This way you can gauge how interested people are in the idea based on followers without having to develop an app.
2) Zappos (Acquired by Amazon in 2009 for $1.2 billion)
Nick Swinmurn (CEO) wanted to create an online retailer for shoes.
MVP- Nick posted picture of the shoes online and if people ordered them, he would go to the store himself and buy the shoes to send to the customer. This technique is called the man-behind-the-curtain technique. Here the consumer is given the appearance of full functionality where in reality much of the work is being done manually behind the scenes.
More examples can be found at the links given below:
https://speckyboy.com/successful-minimum-viable-products/
https://www.copyblogger.com/minimum-viable-product-ideas/
Why MVP?
Your goal when developing your product is to complete as may iterations of the build, measure and learn feedback loop as quickly as possible.
Build: Fabricate a prototype or experiment. An experiment could be a survey or a virtual model of the product that you give to/ show people.
Measure: Develop a way to receive feedback on your design or experiment. This could be in person or online.
Learn: Analyze your feedback and make conclusions from it. Do you need to change your product? Did your feedback validate your idea? Based on this information you should then build another prototype and repeat the process.
The more times that you can complete this loop the better. Remember that your goal should be to validate your idea and product features so that you do not spend valuable time and money creating something that people do not want.
Lean Approach to MVP
Resources at UW-Madison
UW – Makerspace – from soldering irons to 3D printers the Makerspace is a great place to develop prototypes. And it’s convenient too! Its located on the first floor of Wendt Library.
For more information about the Makerspace visit: https://making.engr.wisc.edu/
TEAM Lab – located in the basement of the Engineering Centers Building (ECB), the TEAM lab has the machinery and the knowledgeable staff that you need to make your idea a reality.
For more information about the TEAM Lab visit: https://teamlab.engr.wisc.edu/