What are Pretotypes?
Pretotyping, a term coined by Alberto Savoia at Google, involves creating a preliminary version of a product to validate its core functionality and market appeal. Unlike prototypes, which are detailed and closer to the final product, pretotypes are basic, often rudimentary versions of an idea designed to test the essential assumptions quickly. The goal is to confirm whether there is a real demand for the product before significant resources are invested in its development.
The Problems Pretotypes Solve
Reducing Risk: One of the primary benefits of pretotyping is risk reduction. By validating an idea early, businesses can avoid the costly mistake of developing a product that does not meet market needs or attract customers.
Saving Time and Money: Developing a full-fledged product can be expensive and time-consuming. Pretotyping allows companies to test ideas with minimal investment, conserving resources that can be better allocated to successful projects.
Fostering Innovation: Pretotyping encourages a culture of experimentation and innovation. By enabling quick tests of numerous ideas, businesses can explore more possibilities and identify the most promising concepts.
Improving Focus: By validating the core functionality and appeal of a product early, businesses can focus their development efforts on the features and aspects that matter most to customers.
First Steps in Pretotyping
Identify Core Assumptions: Begin by identifying the core assumptions of your idea. What are the critical features or benefits that need validation?
Create a Pretotype: Develop an elementary version of your product that can test these assumptions. This could be a simple model, a mock-up, or even a product description used to gauge interest.
Test with Real Users: Present your pretotype to real users or potential customers. Gather feedback on whether the product meets their needs or solves a problem for them.
Analyse Feedback: Analyse the feedback and data collected from the testing phase. Did the pretotype validate your assumptions? What adjustments are necessary?
Iterate: Based on the feedback, refine your idea and conduct further tests if necessary. Use the insights gained to improve the concept before committing to full development.
Examples of Pretotyping
Google Glass Pretotype: Before developing the hardware for Google Glass, Google tested the concept by having employees wear simple, non-functional frames to gauge public reaction and interest. This low-cost experiment provided valuable insights into the market’s readiness for wearable tech.
IBM’s Speech-to-Text System: IBM used a Wizard of Oz pretotype to test a speech-to-text system. Instead of developing complex software, they had a person behind the scenes manually transcribe spoken words into text. This helped them validate the demand and usability of the concept before investing in the technology.
The Mechanical Turk: Named after the historical chess-playing machine, this method involves faking the automation of a process. For instance, a company testing an automated service might initially have humans perform the tasks behind the scenes to validate demand and refine the concept before building the actual automation.
Dropbox’s Explainer Video: Before building the full Dropbox platform, the founders created a simple explainer video demonstrating how the service would work. The video attracted thousands of sign-ups, validating the concept and proving there was significant market interest.