| name | proof-of-concept-plan |
| description | Plan and execute focused POCs to validate architectural decisions before full commitment. |
Proof of Concept Plan
Design focused POCs that test assumptions with minimal investment before full-scale commitment.
Instructions
- Define Hypothesis: What assumption are we testing?
- Scope Tightly: POC solves one problem, not whole system
- Time-Box: 1-4 weeks, fixed scope
- Success Criteria: How do we know if POC succeeds?
- 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