THE PRINCIPLE

You don’t need a finished version to get valuable input

If you’re creating something complex, it can be devastating to put in all of the work only to discover through testing or audience reaction that it has serious flaws. In many cases it’s possible to avoid this by creating a prototype or virtual version, or a version that is unfinished but complete enough to get feedback.

For example, in the case of non-fiction books, publishers don’t need to see a complete manuscript in order to decide whether or not to commission the work. Usually they prefer to see a proposal that contains the table of contents, a brief summary of each chapter, and one or two sample chapters, as well as information about competing titles and how you would help market the book. That way they can make suggestions for changes before you actually write the bulk of the book.

In engineering, prototyping is the norm. A device is built and tested and adjusted or redesigned as necessary before going into production.

Similarly, software is released in a beta version to allow early users to find the bugs that need to be fixed before the program is distributed widely.

Different projects will lend themselves to different ways to achieve a similar result. Here are five approaches to choose from:

1. Create a partially finished version but describe the rest of it well enough that the target group can give you feedback. The book proposal is an example of this.
2. Create a virtual version that shows the functions of the final product before you actually build it in the real world. This might mean getting a 3D graphic of it that people can interact with on a computer.
3. Take something that already exists and (on the actual item or virtually) add the functions that you think will make your version superior and test it. For instance, if you have an idea for a superior toaster, you may be able to take an existing one and rig it to add your new functions before going to the expense of building a totally new one.
4. Test a smaller version. For example, rather than opening your own store, it may be possible to open a mini-version within a mall or even within another store to test customer response.
5. Test it in limited numbers. For instance, you can have a few copies of a brochure or catalogue printed digitally and get feedback before you print thousands of copies.

When you have decided which of these approaches best matches your innovation, you will have a formula for saving time and money on the way to your breakthrough product or service.