Proof Of Concept Plan

Plan and execute focused POCs to validate architectural decisions before full commitment.

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Proof of Concept Plan

Design focused POCs that test assumptions with minimal investment before full-scale commitment.

Instructions

  1. Define Hypothesis: What assumption are we testing?
  2. Scope Tightly: POC solves one problem, not whole system
  3. Time-Box: 1-4 weeks, fixed scope
  4. Success Criteria: How do we know if POC succeeds?
  5. Go-No-Go Decision: Based on POC, do we proceed?

Anti-Patterns

  • POC Becomes Product: POC code shipped to production. Result: unmaintainable mess. Guard: Throwaway POCs; rewrite for production.
  • POC Ignores Ops: Works in demo, fails in production. Guard: POC tests operational concerns too.

Further Reading

  • Experiments by Paul Saffo — POC design principles

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Frequently asked questions

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