Nowadays, the proof of concept (POC) has become more or less a standard procedure in most software development companies. POC is used to assess the viability of a product in a real market environment, where true business needs exist. In one of our previous articles, we’ve already covered how to structure POC and what goes into it exactly.
Today we’ll go beyond simple requirements and processes and talk about setting your business goals straight in order to deliver the POC, your customers will appreciate.
One conversation that is often missed, when talking about POC, is how is it actually benefit the client? So here at IntechCore, we’ve compiled a small checklist to help you stay on track and think customer-first during the proof of concept.
Identify Decision Makers
Note: decision makerS.
Very often, most companies only envision their client as a single person with whom they communicate. But most businesses don’t function in such totalitarian regime. There are multiple people who run the company and influence the final decision:
- Business owner
- CTO (chief technical officer)
- Financial manager
- Marketing lead
- Etc.
In order for you to deliver and present truly stellar POC, you need to think about how all these people will see it. Because if you prove that the product in mind has an incredible technical application but don’t present a clear mean of marketing it, the whole project might be in jeopardy.
Define Success & Align Expectation
Perhaps the most important aspect that is getting missed all the time. You’ve helped your client launch MVP (minimum viable product), and you gather some feedback. What comes next? You haven’t actually defined any measurable criteria of success. Here are a couple of questions you might want to ask yourself and client before even starting:
- Why are we doing this and what are we trying to achieve?
- Which other product on the market are we competing against?
- With what other software can we compare the product?
- What’s right or wrong with the way we launch MVP?
- What’s the real value of the product?
- Who will maintain and upkeep the product?
By asking these question, both you and the client might uncover some previously obscured challenges or prospects.
Also, these questions will help you in aligning expectations with customers and avoiding the situation where the client has unrealistic forecast.
Know What to Do Next
After a successful completion of POC, for a software development company, the logical next step is receiving a paycheck. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Having better clarity on the next steps required by each party increases the trust between companies and strengthens their partnership.
If you do a bit of extra work and strive to go beyond simple MVP launch, then you might find yourself in a position, where you have a loyal customer base who entrust you with their future projects and will mention you as a trusted partner in the future.
