There are a million and one decisions that have to be made before your first valuable demo.
What should I build? This one seems a bit obvious, we can’t build it if we don’t know what it is.
How should I build it? This is a little sneakier, but just as - if not more - important.
What you build determines what you (and your focus group) get to test. How you build it determines how much it will cost, how long it will take, and how many samples you can make. Build the wrong thing, and you don’t learn anything. Build the right thing the wrong way, and you waste money, time, and energy.
Deciding the right way to build your prototype - no matter what stage of the development process you’re in - can make or break your business. Should we 3D print this piece, or pay for injection mold tooling? Should we design a dedicated PCB with custom firmware, or connect a Raspberry Pi and some breakout boards with some Python code?
There is no one right answer to these questions. A more polished prototype will demo better, but will take longer and cost more to make.
How to decide? In my experience, experience helps a lot. Either find someone with experience to help you, or get the experience yourself. Even better, find someone with experience who’s willing to teach you.
Have you ever learned the hard way how to build something? I’d love to hear about it.
-Brian Schoolcraft
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