Insights Pretotyping 101: Test Demand Before You Build
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Pretotyping: The Quick Way to Test Startup Ideas Without Building the Full Product
Pretotyping, coined by Alberto Savoia, is a concept that merges “pretend” and “prototype.” It’s a method designed to validate whether an idea is worth pursuing before investing significant resources into building a product. While many startups fail not due to technical challenges but because they create something the market doesn't want, pretotyping offers a solution: it helps determine if there’s actual demand for your product before you even build it.
Why Pretotyping Matters
The main goal of pretotyping is to shift the question from “Can we build it?” to “Should we build it?” It’s a low-cost and high-speed way to test assumptions and get early market feedback, avoiding the common trap of building a “beautiful solution” that nobody needs. This approach is particularly useful for startup founders who often lack the resources to build fully-fledged prototypes. Pretotyping allows founders to focus on testing demand, engagement, and overall interest.
How Pretotyping Works
Pretotyping techniques use simplified versions of your product to test core hypotheses. These might include basic wireframes, landing pages, or even simple videos that simulate the functionality of the actual product. The essence of pretotyping is to “mimic” the product experience and gauge user reactions, collecting data that can later inform the development process.
Key Pretotyping Techniques
Video Demonstration (YouTube Pretotype): Create a video simulating how the product works to gauge user interest. This was famously used by Dropbox in its early days. The founders created a short video showing how the file-sharing functionality would work, which helped them validate interest and attract early adopters and funding without building the complete product.
Online Storefront Simulation (Zappos Pretotype): When Zappos started, they didn’t hold any inventory. Instead, they took photos of shoes from local stores and posted them on their site. When someone makes a purchase, they buy the shoes from the store and ship them to the customer, validating the demand for online shoe shopping before investing in stock.
Basic Website Showcase (Airbnb Pretotype): Airbnb’s founders created a basic website featuring their own apartment, listing it as a place to stay during a local conference. This simple showcase validated the demand for peer-to-peer lodging, helping them secure funding and build a business that disrupted the hospitality industry.
Pre-Order Campaign (Tesla Model 3 Pretotype): Before building the Model 3, Tesla launched a pre-order campaign where customers could reserve a spot with a deposit. This campaign validated demand and helped Tesla understand how many people were willing to invest in their vision before producing the cars.
Hello there, I'm Andrea Marino, founder of Founders Espresso.
Implementing Pretotyping in Your Startup
To get started with pretotyping, follow these steps:
Define Hypotheses: Identify the core assumptions behind your product. What are the biggest uncertainties? Is it the pricing? The product’s usability? The actual need for it?
Choose a Pretotype: Decide on a pretotyping method that best suits your product. It could be a simple landing page, a video demonstration, or even a fake storefront. The key is to simulate the core experience.
Test and Measure: Launch your pretotype with a small group of users. Measure engagement, gather feedback, and analyze the data. If the results are positive, it’s a good sign to proceed. If not, iterate or pivot your idea before committing resources.
Incorporate Feedback and Validate Demand: Use the data collected to refine your understanding of the market. If people are willing to pay or express significant interest in your pretotype, then you know you’re on the right track.
Case Study: Pretotyping at Google
Pretotyping was born at Google when Alberto Savoia realized that many internal projects failed not because they couldn’t be built, but because they lacked market demand. By focusing on early-stage validation, Savoia and his team were able to get a clear signal on whether a project was worth pursuing, significantly reducing waste and increasing the success rate of new initiatives.
(Click on the image to watch the video directly)
Final Thoughts: Stop Building in “Thoughtland”
Pretotyping encourages you to step out of “Thoughtland”—the place where ideas are conceptualized but not tested in the real world. Instead of asking for opinions on your idea, collect real data through small-scale tests. Ask questions like, “If I offer this product, will people actually buy it?” rather than, “If I build it, will they come?” This shift can save startups from costly mistakes and increase their chances of success.
By applying pretotyping techniques, startup founders can validate their ideas quickly and effectively, ensuring they are building something people actually want before they invest time, money, and resources into full-scale development.
Stay tuned for more Insights in the next edition of Founders Espresso Insights!
Sip up, and Scale up together.
Andrea Marino - Founders Espresso
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