From Concept to Prototype: How to Develop Your First Product

Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, famously said, “If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” This highlights the importance of early iteration and continuous improvement in product development.

To understand why, let’s explore the concepts of prototype, proof of concept, and MVP (Minimum Viable Product).

What’s a Prototype?

A prototype represents a preliminary version of a product created to explore and validate design choices, functionality, and user interaction ahead of mass manufacturing.

It can be a digital interface, a material object, or a combination of both, allowing creators to gather feedback and identify potential flaws.

Is an MVP the same as a prototype?

A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a more developed version of a prototype. It’s a functional product with the minimum features needed to meet customer needs and validate a business concept in the real market.

While both are essential in product development, prototypes focus on testing specific product parts and refining the design. In contrast, you can use MVPs to test product-market fit and validate the business model.

These tools are critical for startups and entrepreneurs because they enable rapid testing and iteration, saving time and resources by preventing expensive mistakes later in the development process.

Is Proof of Concept the Same as Prototype?

No, a Proof of Concept (PoC) differs from a prototype. A Proof of Concept is a small, preliminary project designed to demonstrate whether an idea or technology is feasible. It answers the question, “Can this be done?”

PoCs are often theoretical or minimal implementations used to validate a core concept before moving forward with full-scale development. For example, a PoC might test if a new feature can technically be implemented in software development.

Key Differences:

  • PoC (Proof of Concept): Proves technical feasibility—answers “Can it be done?” It’s typically not functional beyond proving a core concept.
  • Prototype: Tests design and functionality—answers “How will it look and work?” It’s an interactive model but may not have full functionality.
  • MVP (Minimum Viable Product): Delivers a working product—answers “Does this solve the user’s problem?” It’s the simplest version of the product that customers can use, allowing startups to validate their business ideas and collect user feedback early.

This article will discuss the steps involved in taking an idea or a concept to a prototype, how to develop an MVP, and why these processes are crucial for entrepreneurs aiming to build successful products with minimal risk.

How do you go from Idea to Prototype?

Going from an idea to a prototype involves a structured process that helps bring your concept to life. We will take an example to understand this. Imagine you’re developing a smart water bottle that tracks hydration levels and reminds users to drink water.

1. Refine Your Idea

  • Define the problem: Identify the problem your idea will solve. In our example, you can define the problem as: “Many people forget to drink water throughout the day, leading to dehydration and fatigue.”
  • Research the market: Investigate existing solutions, competitors, and customer needs to refine your idea. For a smart water bottle, one can explore existing smart water bottles and hydration apps. Notice gaps—perhaps existing products are expensive or difficult to use.
  • List key features Identify the most essential features that align with your solution. Avoid adding too many features initially; focus on the core function. Key features for our example can be: “Your smart water bottle will track how much water the user drinks, send reminders through a smartphone app, and provide hydration goals.”

2. Create a Concept Sketch

  • Visualize the idea: Draw rough sketches, diagrams, or wireframes to represent how the product will look and function.
  • Map the user journey: Create a flowchart that outlines how users will interact with the product from start to finish.

For a smart water bottle, one can draw a simple sketch of the water bottle with an embedded sensor to track water levels.

Show how it connects via Bluetooth to an app on the user’s phone. Its journey map could outline how users would interact with the product—filling the bottle, drinking, and receiving reminders through the app.

3. Conduct Feasibility Research

  • Technical feasibility: Determine whether the technology or resources required to build the product are available.
  • Cost analysis: Estimate the potential cost of building and scaling the product.
  • Feedback on idea: Present your idea to potential users or stakeholders for early feedback.

For a smart water bottle, this could mean identifying if existing sensors can accurately measure water levels inside the bottle.

Additionally, assess the feasibility of Bluetooth connectivity to ensure the bottle can seamlessly communicate with a smartphone app, especially for sending notifications.

Conduct a cost analysis to estimate the price of materials, such as sensors and Bluetooth modules, and the cost of app development. This will help you evaluate whether the bottle can be produced affordably and sold at a competitive price.

Finally, collect feedback on the idea by sharing it with potential users, such as fitness enthusiasts, to gauge their interest and get insights into which features they would find most useful. This early feedback can help refine your concept before moving forward.

4. Develop a Proof of Concept (PoC)

  • Test technical feasibility: Build a small, simplified version to prove the core idea can work technically.
  • Validate core functionality: Focus on demonstrating the fundamental concept without concern for design or user experience.

For a smart water bottle, you would build a basic setup with a water sensor and a simple Bluetooth module connected to a phone.

The purpose is to test the technical feasibility—in this case, whether the sensor can accurately track water levels and send the data to an app.

At this stage, you don’t need to focus on the product’s design or user experience. Instead, focus on validating the core functionality, ensuring the water tracking feature works as intended.

5. Design a Prototype

  • Select the right tools: Choose appropriate prototyping tools or software (e.g., Figma for digital products, or 3D printers for physical products).
  • Build an initial model: Create a working model demonstrating how your product will look, feel, and function.
  • Focus on user interaction: Ensure the prototype mimics the product’s key features and functionality for testing purposes.

For a smart water bottle, you could use 3D modeling software to design the physical bottle and incorporate the sensors into the structure.

Once you have the tools, build an initial model demonstrating how the product will work. This version should include a water sensor, Bluetooth module, and a basic app where users can see their hydration levels and receive reminders to drink water.

Throughout this process, it’s essential to focus on user interaction—ensure the prototype replicates key features like water tracking and notifications, as this will be crucial for testing how users interact with the product.

Jared Waters, the founder of Mini Materials employed 3D printing to conceptualize various iterations of his products. Due to this, he was able to launch over 30 new products within 6 months and operate with a lean two-person team, demonstrating the importance of this step. Read more by becoming an Ownerpreneur member today—it’s free

6. Test the Prototype

  • Gather feedback: Share the prototype with potential users or testers to collect feedback on functionality and design.
  • Iterate and improve: Based on the feedback, improvise the prototype, fix any issues, and make improvements.

Ask your focus group to use the bottle over a few days and collect feedback on how well it tracks their hydration, how easy the app is to use, and whether the reminders are helpful.

Once you’ve gathered feedback, review it carefully to identify areas for improvement. If users find certain aspects inconvenient, such as overly frequent reminders or an inaccurate sensor, use this feedback to iterate and improve the prototype.

Adjust the design or functionality accordingly, refining the product based on real user experience.

7. Prepare for MVP Development

After testing and refining the prototype, the next step is to prepare for the development of a Minimum Viable Product. Start by defining the MVP scope—decide which features are essential for the first launch.

The MVP, For a smart water bottle, might include basic water tracking, simple app integration, and hydration reminders while excluding more advanced features like personalized hydration goals or multiple design options.

This lets you focus on delivering a working product without overcomplicating the initial release.

Next, set milestones for development, such as finalizing the bottle’s design, ensuring reliable manufacturing processes, and refining the app’s interface. These steps will help guide the team as you move from a prototype to a fully functional MVP ready for market testing.

How Do You Turn a Prototype Into a Product?

Transforming a prototype into a working product involves several key steps. First, gather feedback from prototype testing and refine the design based on user input.

Next, focus on scalability and manufacturability, ensuring materials, components, and production processes are efficient and cost-effective. Finalize the product’s design, optimizing it for mass production.

Develop robust quality control measures to maintain consistency during manufacturing. Simultaneously, prepare for product launch, including packaging, branding, and marketing strategies.

Conduct final testing to ensure the product meets performance standards, and then move to full-scale production and distribution. Regularly iterate and improve post-launch based on user feedback.

Final Thoughts

The path from idea to market launch is a journey of discovery and refinement. It typically involves three key stages:

  • Ideation and Proof of Concept: Start with a promising idea and validate it through market research.
  • Prototype development: Transform your validated concept into a tangible prototype.
  • MVP and iteration: Launch a Minimum Viable Product, gather feedback, and refine your product through iterative development.

While this process may seem straightforward, building a successful product requires perseverance, adaptability, and a relentless focus on customer needs. For more insightful stories about entrepreneurs who’ve navigated this journey successfully, subscribe to Ownerpreneur—it’s free!