Step-by-step business product development (3

In the previous two posts of this series we have talked about the  idea generation phase and the product and market research phase, respectively. Now it is time to get physical, as the song goes.

 

Let's see what is the process to create a product prototype and why it can help us to focus the shot and validate our project before starting to invest in mass production.

We could define it as the creation of a product that meets all the basic criteria, a preliminary -but viable- version of the final version that will go on sale. A sort of mold or example to develop production from.

 

Obviously, it does not have to be exactly the product that you will sell on your online store; but it will be very useful to plan aspects such as the raw materials you will need, calculate production costs and see how scalable it is. In short: you will be able to estimate the margin that each unit sold will leave you.

As we have just discussed, having a prototype will help us do the math. For that reason alone, you should take the process very seriously. But there are more important benefits besides planning.

 

In the previous post, when we focused on market research, we discussed the use of tools for user testing. When we have a prototype, we also have the possibility to go back to testing but from a more empirical point of view.

 

In fact, it is highly recommended to perform user tests on the prototype and improve the first version based on the results of these studies. The prototyping process is characterized by creating successive alterations from an initial one until reaching the so-called minimum viable product, which would be practically the commercial version.

 

By having this approach, you will be able to see the user's reaction to a real product, check whether it meets the needs it has to fulfill, and see to what extent our assumptions and hypotheses are confirmed or refuted.

 

Not to mention that, thanks to the prototype, we will be able to know exactly what the real production needs are (materials, human resources, times...) and, at the same time, detect potential errors and design flaws before having the product on the market.

Here, most likely, you will need to use third parties to manufacture the prototype according to your specifications (although it will always depend on your production capacity). If you are in this situation, the best thing to do is to search for that supplier with a view to having them do the mass production of the product at a later date. Search and compare before deciding on one or the other.

 

Although, if you do not want to get "so serious" at the beginning, there are other alternatives. Technology comes to help  the entrepreneur, in this case thanks to 3D printing. You will need someone who knows how to use the software and has the right hardware, but nowadays you can get a fairly functional first prototype before moving on to more advanced production.

 

The best thing about 3D models is that they can solve a lot of doubts with a considerably lower investment. Surely, 3D printing will not allow you to make that minimum viable version, but you can save on the first proposals.

Let's digress: we have spoken several times about the minimum viable product and, although it is a fairly self-explanatory concept, it is worth clarifying something. It is a fully functional prototype on which we can make certain iterations and improvements, but which would be approximately 90% of the final version.

 

Now that you have market analyzed and product idea validated, it is time to enter the pre-production phase. But we will see that in the next post of this series that, although it faces the final stretch, has some more content before having our products for sale on our online store.