POC development

Proof of concept development: test feasibility before scaling

Some ideas need to be proven technically feasible before they're worth scoping as a full build an unusual AI use case, an integration nobody's confirmed will actually work, a data source of uncertain quality. A proof of concept answers 'can this actually be built' cheaply, before committing to the answer 'yes' at full budget.

Technical feasibilityFast, cheap validationDe-risking
Quick answer

Proof of concept development: test technical feasibility before committing to full-scale development, especially for ambiguous AI and data ideas.

Good fit if
  • One specific technical assumption needs a real yes/no answer before you commit budget
  • The idea is unusual enough that "can this be built" isn't already obvious
  • You want the answer in days or weeks, not a full build cycle
Not the right fit if
  • You already know it's feasible and need a real, launchable product see MVP Development
  • The open question is scope or architecture, not technical feasibility see Project Discovery

Some risk can only be resolved by building something small

Discovery and planning resolve most project risk, but some questions will this model actually be accurate enough, does this API actually support what we need, is this data source actually usable can only be answered by building a small, disposable version and testing it against reality.

What a POC delivers

  • A working, narrow build that tests the single riskiest technical assumption
  • Honest results including when the answer is that the approach doesn't work
  • A clear recommendation on whether and how to proceed to full development
  • Reusable learnings and code where the POC does validate the direction
  • A fast timeline, since a POC that takes as long as the real build has missed the point

How we work

  1. Identify the single riskiest technical assumption the whole project depends on

  2. Build the smallest version that tests that assumption against real conditions

  3. Report the result honestly, even when it means recommending against proceeding

  4. Fold validated learnings into the real scope if the POC succeeds

Typical stack

Scoped to the specific technical question being tested

Frequently asked questions

A POC answers "can this be built" for internal decision-making and is often thrown away. An MVP is a real, user-facing product meant to launch and be built on. Conflating the two is a common source of wasted budget a POC built to production standards costs like an MVP without delivering a product.

You get that answer for a fraction of what a full build would have cost which is the actual value of doing a POC at all. We report that outcome directly rather than reframing a failed feasibility test as a partial success.

Typically days to a few weeks, scoped tightly around the one technical question being tested. A POC that sprawls toward full-build scope has usually lost its purpose as a fast, cheap feasibility check.