pol-probe

name	pol-probe
argument-hint	[hypothesis to test]
description	Define a Proof of Life probe to test a risky hypothesis cheaply. Use when you need harsh truth before building real product.
intent	Define and document a **Proof of Life (PoL) probe**—a lightweight, disposable validation artifact designed to surface harsh truths before expensive development. Use this when you need to eliminate a specific risk or test a narrow hypothesis **without building production-quality software**. PoL probes are reconnaissance missions, not MVPs—they're meant to be deleted, not scaled.
type	component
best_for	["Documenting a lightweight validation artifact before build","Testing a narrow hypothesis without shipping production software","Reducing risk before spending engineering time"]
scenarios	["Define a Proof of Life probe for a new workflow automation idea","Help me write a PoL probe for this pricing hypothesis","Create a low-cost validation probe before we build this feature"]
theme	validation-experiments
estimated_time	15-25 min

Purpose

Define and document a Proof of Life (PoL) probe—a lightweight, disposable validation artifact designed to surface harsh truths before expensive development. Use this when you need to eliminate a specific risk or test a narrow hypothesis without building production-quality software. PoL probes are reconnaissance missions, not MVPs—they're meant to be deleted, not scaled.

This framework prevents prototype theater (expensive demos that impress stakeholders but teach nothing) and forces you to match validation method to actual learning goal.

Input

Works best with: The hypothesis or risk you need to test. Also useful: What evidence would change your mind, available time/resources, and what you've validated already.

Anything supplied with the invocation itself — text after the skill name, a pasted context dump, or an appended ARGUMENTS: line — counts as answers already given. Use it and skip whatever it covers; don't re-ask.

Arriving empty-handed? That works too. The skill asks for the hypothesis and the riskiest assumption inside it before designing the probe.

Example invocation: Define a PoL probe: we believe restaurant managers will photograph invoices daily if it auto-updates food costs.

Key Concepts

What is a PoL Probe?

A Proof of Life (PoL) probe is a deliberate, disposable validation experiment designed to answer one specific question as cheaply and quickly as possible. It's not a product, not an MVP, not a pilot—it's a targeted truth-seeking mission.

Origin: Coined by Dean Peters (Productside), building on Marty Cagan's 2014 work on prototype flavors and Jeff Patton's principle: "The most expensive way to test your idea is to build production-quality software."

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The 5 Essential Characteristics

Every PoL probe must satisfy these criteria:

Characteristic	What It Means	Why It Matters
Lightweight	Minimal resource investment (hours/days, not weeks)	If it's expensive, you'll avoid killing it when the data says to
Disposable	Explicitly planned for deletion, not scaling	Prevents sunk-cost fallacy and scope creep
Narrow Scope	Tests one specific hypothesis or risk	Broad experiments yield ambiguous results