Opulence.
Web, Webshop & App Development

MVP & Rapid Prototyping

Validate an idea in weeks with a clickable prototype or a thin slice of production software.

Before a group funds a new product or an internal venture, it should know whether people want it. We run short validation sprints that end with a prototype in front of real users or a thin production slice in front of real customers, plus a clear recommendation on whether to continue.

The sprint is designed to be easy to stop. If the answer is no, you have saved the build. If the answer is yes, you have evidence and a foundation to build on.

How we're different
  • We are comfortable recommending that you don't build.
  • Production slices are built on the same foundations as the full product, so nothing is thrown away.
  • The sprint has a fixed scope and a fixed end date.
Who this is for
  • A new venture inside a large company that must show evidence before the next funding gate.
  • An innovation team at a bank, airline or retailer with a long list of ideas and one budget.
  • A group considering a product for its partners or customers and unsure whether they want it.
Signals you need this now
  • The business case rests on an assumption nobody has tested with a user.
  • The steering committee has asked for proof, not slides.
  • A vendor is proposing a long build before anyone has seen a prototype.
  • Similar internal projects have run for a year and produced nothing usable.
Scope of work

What is included.

  1. 01

    Problem framing

    The riskiest assumption identified and turned into a testable question.

  2. 02

    Prototype

    A clickable prototype or a minimal working product, whichever answers the question fastest.

  3. 03

    User testing

    Sessions with target users, recorded and analysed.

  4. 04

    Technical spike

    Where feasibility is the risk, a proof that the hard part works.

  5. 05

    Go/no-go recommendation

    Findings, options and an estimate for the next phase.

Method

Four steps, no surprises.

  1. 01

    Frame

    Workshop to agree the assumption to test and how to judge the result.

  2. 02

    Make

    Prototype or thin slice built in one to three weeks.

  3. 03

    Test

    Real users, real tasks, honest findings.

  4. 04

    Decide

    Report with a recommendation and a plan for the next step.

How the engagement runs

From first meeting to steady state.

  1. 01Week 1

    Frame

    Workshop to agree the riskiest assumption, the question to test and how the result will be judged.

  2. 02Weeks 2 to 3

    Make

    Prototype or thin production slice built, with a technical spike where feasibility is the risk.

  3. 03Week 4

    Test and decide

    Sessions with target users, findings written up and a go/no-go memo with the plan for the next step.

What we measure
  • Time from kick-off to a prototype in front of real users.
  • Task completion and stated intent in user testing.
  • Decision reached at the gate with evidence attached.
  • Share of the validated slice reused in the production build.
Who is on the engagement
  • Product lead
  • Senior full-stack engineer
  • Product designer
  • User researcher
Deliverables
  • Validation sprint plan.
  • Prototype or working thin slice.
  • User testing findings.
  • Go/no-go recommendation memo.
  • Estimate and roadmap for the next phase.
Engagement terms

Validation sprints are fixed scope, running two to four weeks. A production MVP that follows runs as fixed-scope phases and typically takes eight to sixteen weeks to a first release.

FAQ

MVP & Rapid Prototyping, in plain terms.

A prototype looks real and tests desirability. An MVP works and tests whether people will use or pay. We recommend which you need based on the risk you are trying to remove.

Yes. We build it on production foundations so it can grow rather than be rewritten.

Yes. We recruit from your audience or through panels depending on the market.

Then you have a clear answer early and usually a better idea of what to try instead.

Next step

Ready to talk about mvp & rapid prototyping?