Why non-technical entrepreneurs should prototype more

I meet a lot of non-technical entrepreneurs that have a great app idea, they’ve worked on the marketing but they have nothing in terms of product. Instead, they wait for a technical co-founder to magically appear and help them build an MVP.

I think that’s a terrible waste of time. If you’re an entrepreneur, start building your product now! But instead of coding it, you can build your product with tools that you already can master.

As I’ve written earlier, prototyping is a great method that will save you time and money, and help you learn more about your product before turning to code.

“A prototype will help you find that co-founder you’re looking for.”

Even better: a prototype will help you find that co-founder you’re looking for. It can also help you find customers and investors before you have launched. Even if you’re a smooth-talking Steve Jobs-incarnate sales person, being able to demonstrate your prototype will help you instantly communicate what your product is all about.

This is because a prototype is the best way to summarize what your product should be, second only to having the actual product.

I’m by no means saying that prototyping is easy. On the contrary, it can be really hard. Not because it’s very technical, but because it is hard to build great products. A product is the result of 1000's of tiny decisions, and many of these decisions are made already when you build your prototype.

“A product is the result of 1000's of tiny decisions, and many of these decisions are made already when you build your prototype.”

But it’s also a very rewarding, creative process. You will learn so much about your product and the problem you are solving with it, while prototyping.

So how to begin? Pick a prototyping tool where you are comfortable and can work fast. There’s plenty to choose from, but don’t get stuck on this decision — you can get a lot done in Keynote. If you want, give my tool a spin: Weld.