MVP vs POC vs Prototype: Bringing Great Ideas to Life

No doubt you want to tread a clear path from your idea to your final product. But how do you get from point A to point B? Jumping right into coding may be unreasonable, especially if your product has no analogs and is at the discovery stage.

The What does MVP mean? question may no longer be a problem for you. But maybe What is a proof of concept? is what you ponder on. There is also product development prototyping your software development team will refer you to. The technology world has its own terminology that may be somewhat confusing for new entrepreneurs with fresh ideas.

Today, we want to give you a 360-degree view of MVPs, POCs, and prototypes so you can make the right business choices regarding app development. You’ll then be able to approach investors and agencies and see how your product can best bring value to your customers.

The main misconception is that these three terms relate to different types of MVPs. In reality, a proof of concept, a prototype, and an MVP are different parts of the development process.

A proof of concept is precisely what it sounds like. The concept is your app idea; the proof is some sort of action you take to make sure this idea resonates with tens or thousands of other people. You shouldn’t just blindly develop your application. You need to check if it creates interest and if there’s a perceived need among users. Otherwise, your time, money, and effort will be wasted.

To validate your assumptions and your business model, you need to know whether your idea is feasible. You may employ market research and interviews or gather raw data to validate your assumptions. To get a proof of concept, you may use manual tools including emails, spreadsheets, and SMS messages. It all depends on the touchpoints you have with the target audience you aim to develop for.

If you get positive feedback, such as a large number of sign-ups, interest in the form of questions, or pre-sales, then you can turn your proof of concept into a digital product.

As the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, a prototype is “a first or preliminary version of a device or vehicle from which other forms are developed.” If we think about a prototype in the digital world, it’s a visual representation of what a software product will look and feel like. With a prototype, you can present your idea in front of investors and potential users to catch their interest. A prototype isn’t a functional app yet, as it’s not built with code and doesn’t process any data.

An experienced UI/UX team can create a prototype you can then share with users. This will allow you to kick-start a feedback loop prior to production. With each piece of feedback from your prospective users, you’ll be able to optimize your prototype and make it pixel perfect. Since there’s no code yet, it’s cheaper to make changes to the user interface and user experience with a prototype than it is with a real application.

What does MVP mean? A minimum viable product, or MVP, is a basic product that revolves around a core feature. An MVP aims to satisfy early adopters while addressing a problem and meeting a certain opportunity in the market. You can think of an MVP as a prototype that’s powered by code.

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