The Truth About Prototyping Your Product Idea

You may think you have a great idea for a new product – But before you can get started selling it, you have to make something that proves whether it actually does what you want it to or not.

Here are insights on how to make a prototype for your product idea and get it off the ground the right way.

What Is A Prototype?

At its simplest, a prototype is an item that proves that a product idea is viable and does what it’s supposed to do. Building a working model is an important early step in the product development process as it sets the stage for further iterations and improvements as we move closer to mass production and product launch. However, there is often a big misconception when it comes to prototyping and the most efficient way to create a product.

Our motto is: “Let’s make your product idea functional first, then put a shell around it and get it ready for market.”

Here at 52 Launch, we prototype at the manufacturer. Let’s break down what exactly that means.

Prototype vs. Minimum Viable Product

If you’re just beginning the process of how to develop a product, you might also come across the term “minimum viable product.” Let’s clarify the important difference between these two concepts:

• Prototypes test the validity of a product idea
• Minimum viable products test the validity of a product’s market potential

A minimum viable product, also known as MVP, allows you to get something out in the world that has all the core features of your product, but without overly complicating the process. From there, you can begin gathering insights about the product’s functionality and user experience, and continue iterating until you’ve reached the final version.

Prioritizing the creation of an MVP over a prototype significantly streamlines the development process and gets you to revenue at a drastically faster rate.

To achieve this, 52 Launch utilizes horizontal manufacturing, in which our tooling is close to our factories and our assembly lanes are close to our packaging facilities, thereby ensuring good quality products and good margins. This practice, developed over multiple decades of direct manufacturing experience, allows us to scale products rapidly and efficiently compared to vertical manufacturing.

Check out our podcast to learn more about prototyping your product:

Embrace The Process

Regardless of whether you start with a prototype or minimum viable product, the most critical aspect to understand is that the first thing you make will not be the last. There will always be elements to change or features to improve upon – Sometimes even after product launch.

Here at 52 Launch, our process involves sending the molds and tools to our factories and communicating with them about your product’s core functions – This results in a Trial 1 of your product, also known as a T1. After that, we iterate on the design and make any necessary tweaks, and T1 becomes T2. This repeats until we have a fully complete product that’s ready for selling.

By developing the product directly at the factory like this, it makes mass production so much easier and more efficient.

Have any questions about our product development process here at 52 Launch? Contact us today to book a free call with our idea consultants.