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