For most software companies, knowing the viability of a project or a solution is of paramount importance for success. To achieve this objective, they focus on four imperatives: a pilot, a prototype, POC, and MVP.
These aspects help software development companies in three distinct ways. Alongside offering the right guidance for the growth of a product, these methods also help assess the needs of users and challenge the general assumptions.
That said, these aspects differ from one another in many ways. Read on to find out what they are all about how they differ from one another.
Proof of Concept
Proof of concept is the method that leads the stakeholders of the development of an application to a definitive answer regarding the viability of a product. It gives an answer in the form of a yes or a no.
It helps a company put its money on the right product. In case a company wants to know whether or not it is feasible, the POC concept gives a precise answer. If the answer is no, a company can try out any other product or idea to achieve its objectives.
Prototype
A prototype allows a company to test the complex idea of a project. In general, business organizations utilize the concept to test an idea with real-time users. The rationale behind using the idea is to capture the feedback of users and work on it to make an app more useful. Prototypes are mostly used to either record interactions or in conjunction with end-to-end solutions.
Prototypes prove to be useful in the early stages of the development of a product. Generally, a company discards a prototype at the advantages of development after capturing requisite feedback. In a nutshell, it is a throw-away and helps test the primary features of a product.
Pilots
Sometimes, a company may decide to initiate a new system or solution when it is confident of offering a definite solution to its target audience. It may not be in direct competition with any other product and a company may launch it to check its usefulness to a specific target audience. Technically, a project involving such a product of a service is called a pilot project.
More often than not, performance is the only criterion that determines the future of such projects. In the initial stages, it is meant for a small target audience. If it turns out to be successful, a company may consider scaling it for a wider audience.
Despite offering enough scope in popularizing a project by testing its configuration options and market assumptions, it offers little room for improvement. It is for companies that are confident of a strategy or business idea.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
In the field of software development, a company may need to launch a product quickly. If it has minimum available resources, choosing the minimum viable product (MVP) concept can turn out to be the best option. Other than easing the workload, it also saves time and lets a company focus on the basics.
For software development firms, determining the feasibility of an entire product may not be necessary all the time. Instead, testing its core features of a product can indicate its usefulness to customers. This is precisely where the MVP concept makes a big difference.
It allows a company to find out the viability of a product before a product’s adoption. If necessary, a company can also make timely changes to a product for its further improvement. This approach helps a company make a product market-ready for its customers.
The MVP concept is commonplace among game development companies. It helps such companies determine the viability of a game before its launch in the market for the target audience of a specific age group.
Final thoughts
From the above, it stands out that MVP, POC, Prototype, and Pilot are the innovative concepts to test the viability of a product or an idea. Though these concepts are applicable for companies that have an idea and want to determine its usefulness, they take different routes. While prototypes and POCs can be tested in a lab workplace or a workshop under the supervision of stakeholders, pilots and MVPs are tested by genuine users.