15 minute talk where I covered the following: * Understand the pitfalls of building great products * Focus on Return on Learning * Prototyping is a tool get a better Return on Learning * Beware of Solution Sickness

1. Prototyping
September 24th, 2015

2. Key Points
2
1. Understand the pitfalls of building great products
2. Focus on Return on Learning
3. Prototyping is a tool get a better Return on Learning
4. Beware of Solution Sickness

3. Josh Wexler
3

4. Hit the target!
4
FEASIBILITY
DESIRABILITY USABILITY
A Great Product

5. Hit the target!
5
FEASIBILITY
DESIRABILITY USABILITY

6. The Pitfalls!
6
Market Uncertainty
Is there a real need in the market and
does the market want the solution?
Solution Uncertainty
How does the product fit the market
need in a way that users find enjoyable?
Technical Uncertainty
What are the technical challenges and
issues that threaten product success?
Business Uncertainty
Can the business fully deploy and
operate the product?
Market
Solution
Technical
Business

7. 50%

8. 8
Learning is the bridge
The only way to reduce uncertainty is by learning about the market, solution, technology
and business

9. Return on Learning (ROL)
9
For every hour spent, you get the maximum amount of learning possible
=
(Amount of Learning - Time Invested)
Time Invested
ROL

10. Prototyping is a tool to increase
the Return on Learning

11. What is a prototype?
11
“Something which at it's current stage has been screwed up by developers and cannot
yet be used by the general public”
Example: “This car isn't safe.. I'm calling it a prototype.”
- Santa(Ace) at Urban Dictionary
“A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or
process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from”
- Wikipedia
“A prototype is functional and visual representation of a product and the best way to
communicate and learn about that product.”
- Me

12. Fidelity (how realistic is it?)
12
SKETCHED
VISUAL
STYLED
STATIC
FUNCTIONAL
INTERACTIVE
SAMPLE
CONTENT
ACTUAL

13. How realistic should it be? (The Fidelity Curve)
13
Communication/LearningValue
Amount of time / effort to change / fidelity
LOW HIGH
HIGH

14. Why prototype?
14
What is life like without prototyping?
OR

15. Solution Sickness

16. A remedy
Explore multiple user groups
or problems or prototypes
Keep an eye on the fidelity
curve
Iterate
Follow a process that forces
the above

17. Recap
17
1. Understand the pitfalls of building great products
2. Focus on Return on Learning
3. Prototyping is a tool get a better Return on Learning
4. Beware of Solution Sickness

18. Tips and tools
18
+
Books Tools Product Canvas

19. Thank you!
@josh_wexler