Prototyping: Basic Essential Steps | Starting a Startup - Entrepreneurship PDF Download

If a picture says a thousand words, just imagine how a great prototype speaks volumes for your startup.

What is a prototype?

• A rough working model of your product
• Gives people (and yourself) a better idea of its potential, functionality, features, size, color, and more
• Not fully-functioning (that will come later), but helps in explaining the concept to potential investors, clients, folks at meetups, and anyone you encounter when evangelizing the potential of your startup

The challenge of starting

• Can be prohibitively expensive to gather all of the talent needed to bring a prototype from concept to reality
• A great idea to hire online freelancers to help breathe life into your working model
• Makes something tangible and exciting in much less time than building it yourself

6 points to keep in mind while building a prototype:

The type of assistance you’ll need will vary depending on whether you want a 3D designer to create a robotic cat feeder or an iOS programmer to mock-up a shell of your mobile phone video game

1. Your Prototype Doesn't Have to Be Perfect

• The goal of your prototype is to prove that your concept works, in the easiest, quickest and most-affordable way you possibly can.
• As a startup, know that getting your product to market fast is key, and your prototype is the shell that makes the first step towards full functionality.

2. Start by Taking Apart Other Company’s Products

• If you’re making a physical product, purchase the competition’s product and take a screw driver to it.
• Look for how it’s been assembled, what materials are used, and any insights that can save you time and money when building your model.
• If you’re creating an online product such as a mobile app or ecommerce site, take a look at the flow of those in your space.
• Check out what works and what you can improve upon in your prototype.

3. Consider a Video Prototype or Wireframe First

• Before you start shaping molds, consider creating an inexpensive 3D video.
• An animation may be sufficient on its own to express the idea, or it may help outline what’s needed in a more detailed physical prototype.
• If you’re building a prototype for software or a phone app, begin by creating wireframes that show the flow of each page and how each page is interrelated.

4. Make a Miniature Prototype Initially

• Again, if your prototype is for a physical product, don’t get an online team working around the clock until you’ve scoped out the general parameters.
• With some clay and a trip to the hardware store or plastics store, make a mini prototype.
• This will help yourself better understand the parameters, as well as making it easier to explain your startup’s product to people who will take it to the next level.
• If needed, re-iterate again and again to work out bugs you notice.

5. Looking Good? Move Onto a Full-Scale Prototype

• Now that the major holes have been worked out of your design, it’s time to take the next step and get a more concrete prototype developed.
• You’ll find great industrial designers on Elance who already have the tools ready to get your prototype ramped-up quickly.
• This is an important stage in getting a patent too, as you can use this prototype to demonstrate how you were the first to invent this new product or service.
• Consider making more than one copy, as the cost per unit drops considerably when you’re create 10 vs. 1.
• If you need to have multiple prototypes floating around, now is the chance to get a handful made.
• Similarly, this is when you’ll want an expert programmer to start building out the shell of a website or mobile app.

6. Communicate Thoroughly with Your Prototyper

• Make sure you’re on the same page with the freelancer who will be working with you.
• Leave no details to chance, as you want the job done right the first time.
• The secure and shared Elance work room you and your freelancer will use to communicate has many collaboration tools.
• Also rest assured that your ideas are safe when working with Elance freelancers, including non-disclosure agreements people agree to.