Mastering Pretotyping: A Guide to Getting It Right

“You cannot reduce failure changes. But you can reduce failure costs.”

Giacomo Poggiali

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In today’s fast-paced world of innovation, creating a successful product starts with understanding your audience and validating ideas early, before committing significant resources. This is where pretotyping comes in—a powerful technique that helps inventors, entrepreneurs, and businesses refine their concepts quickly and effectively.

Pretotying vs Prototyping - What's the Difference?

In the fast-paced world of startups, speed and accuracy are key. Pretotyping and prototyping allow you to quickly validate ideas without wasting time and resources. They help identify potential pitfalls and opportunities early on. For entrepreneurs and innovators, these processes mean the difference between developing a product that resonates with customers and one that falls flat.

Though, you might be wondering what the heck pretotyping even is. Is it just prototyping with a different name? The answer is no, pretotyping and prototyping are distinct, though they complement each other beautifully in the innovation process.

Building the Right "It" So We Can Build "It" Right

Think of pretotyping as your low-risk exploration phase. Here, you're not building the full-fledged product yet; you're creating a minimal, often non-functional version solely to test whether anyone truly cares about your idea. The goal is to gauge interest and validate that the concept solves a real problem for potential customers without investing significant resources. This approach is about building the right “it” rather than building “it” right.

One popular example is the 'Pinocchio' pretotype—creating a non-functional version of your product to observe customer interactions. For instance, if developing an app, you might use a series of sketches to show potential users and gather feedback. This helps validate your idea's desirability and usability without building the actual product.

Contrast that with prototyping, which is where you start to shape your idea into something tangible. It's your chance to refine the design, work out the kinks, and gather user feedback on function and usability. Prototyping ensures that once you've identified the right “it,” you're on track to building it right. Together with pretotyping, these processes are your secret weapons to innovating with confidence and clarity.

Getting Started With Pretotyping

Typically, once you've identified a problem worth addressing, it's time to pretotype. Alberto Savoia, a former Engineering Director at Google, coined the phrase to emphasise the value of testing concepts quickly before full-scale development. Whether it’s creating a sketch, a landing page, or a basic mock-up, the goal is to gather quick, actionable feedback and answer key questions about your product's appeal and usability: Are people interested in it? Will they use it as intended? And most importantly, should we build it?

There are several effective methods for pretotyping that can help validate your product idea and test the level of interest, such as the:

Fake Door Pretotype

Costs: $

A fake door pretotype tests initial interest by suggesting a solution without fully developing it. For example, a restaurant might add a new item to its menu, or a company could create a landing page for a potential offering. Both approaches gauge demand quickly and cost-effectively.

Dropbox Product Video

In 2010, Dropbox faced a challenge: proving the product’s technical feasibility would take years, but they needed to answer a key question—“If we provide a superior experience, will people try it?”

To test this, founder Drew Houston created a video showing how Dropbox would work, even though the product wasn’t functional yet. This "Media of the Future" pretotype generated massive interest, taking their beta waitlist from 5,000 to 75,000 overnight. Houston later said, “It totally blew us away.” You can see the full video here.

Facade Pretotype

Costs: $$

A facade pretotype tests the initial level of interest in your solution by offering a non-scalable version that is also sometimes only offered for a limited amount of time or to a very specific geography. Unlike the Fake Door pretotype, a Facade pretotype actually delivers the product to the customer.

Selling Cars Without Inventory

In the late 90s, founder and CEO Bill Gross envisioned selling used cars online. To test the market's willingness to purchase cars over the internet, he secured advertisement space in a local newspaper for CarsDirect and created a straightforward website showcasing available vehicles. When customers clicked 'buy,' Bill would purchase the car at retail value and deliver it to them. During the first weekend, he successfully sold four used cars, thereby validating his innovative idea.

An Airbed and a Home-Made Breakfast

The co-founders of Airbnb famously tested their idea by asking a simple question: would people pay to sleep in a stranger’s house instead of an expensive hotel?

To find out, they built a basic website offering an air mattress and breakfast at their San Francisco home for $80 per night—significantly cheaper than local hotels. Within a short time, three people booked and paid, validating their assumption and sparking what would become a global phenomenon.

Wizard of Oz Pretotype

Costs: $-$$$

The Wizard of Oz pretotype replaces your tech solution with human skills to simulate what the technology would do.

A Can of Beans Turned Voice Assistant

Although not part of the Amazon Echo development team, Alberto Savoia created several pretotypes to test a key assumption: would people actually use a voice assistant?

To start, he wrapped a can of beans in black paper, placed it on his countertop, and pretended it was a real device. He frequently found himself talking to the "voice assistant" for tasks like weather updates and setting timers.

To test broader interest, he hid a phone behind the can and had someone on the other end answer questions people asked the "device." This simple experiment helped validate the concept of a voice assistant in a creative, low-cost way.

A Computer Without a Keyboard

In the 1980s, IBM aimed to make personal computers accessible to everyone. However, one major barrier was that very few people could type. This led the team to question the assumption that a personal computer had to include a keyboard.

To explore alternatives, IBM ideated a speech-to-text solution but decided to test its viability before committing to development. They invited participants who had previously expressed interest to try the “speech-to-text machine.” Participants were placed in a room with a microphone and a computer screen that displayed their spoken words as text. In reality, there was no working technology—IBM had someone in another room transcribing the speech in real-time.

The test revealed a critical insight: users didn’t want to speak into a microphone all day. Many found it physically taxing, and office managers disliked the idea of employees speaking confidential information out loud. This experiment saved IBM from investing heavily in a product that wouldn’t have met user needs.

Infiltrator Pretotype

Costs: $-$$$

An infiltrator pretotype leverages the existing customer traffic in an established store (whether physical or online) to assess whether these potential customers would purchase your solution. This is achieved by placing your product on the store’s shelves and observing the response.

Note that it does not have to be a functioning version of the product—it could even be an empty box with the imagined specifications on it or a relabelled product of the store you are testing in. In a digital store, you can show a mock-up of the product.

Walhüb 

A San Francisco-based design agency developed the WalHub, a switch plate that doubled as a key and mail holder. Confident in their idea but unsure if it would sell, they decided to test interest by infiltrating a local IKEA.

The team created about 100 WalHubs and even bought a used IKEA employee shirt on eBay. Renaming the product “Walhüb” to match IKEA’s branding, they placed it strategically around the store. Customers interacted with the product and even tried to purchase it. Of course, the bar code didn’t work, but IKEA employees told them they could take it for free.

This low-cost, creative experiment validated customer interest while offering valuable feedback. You can watch the video they made about the process here.

Impersonator Pretotype

Costs: $-$$$

An impersonator prototype uses an existing product and turns it into a representation of your solution. This is also sometimes called the relabel pretotype.

Second-Day Sushi

Alberto Savoia often uses the "second-day sushi" example to illustrate pretotyping. While having lunch with students at Stanford, they debated whether anyone would buy dayold sushi at a steep discount. Savoia suggested turning the idea into an XYZ hypothesis: “At least 20% of packaged-sushi eaters will try Second-Day Sushi if it’s half the price of freshly packaged sushi."

To test this hypothesis quickly and cheaply, the students refined it further: “At least 20% of students buying packaged sushi at Coupa Café today at lunch will choose Second-Day Sushi if it’s half the price of regular sushi.” They printed labels reading “Second-Day Sushi—50% Off,” placed them on half the sushi containers at the café, and observed customer behaviour. The result? Zero customers chose the discounted sushi.

This experiment combined two pretotyping methods. First, it used an impersonator pretotype by relabelling fresh sushi as second-day sushi. Second, it employed an infiltrator pretotype by leveraging existing customer traffic at Coupa Café.

An Electrical Lotus Elise

In the early 2000s, Elon Musk set out to build a $120,000 all-electric two-seater car. To gauge interest, he and his team created an impersonator prototype by converting a Lotus Elise. They replaced the combustion engine with an AC propulsion drivetrain and a prototype battery pack, naming it the Mule 1.  

As the car was driven around, it caught the attention of local sports car enthusiasts. To measure serious interest, Tesla began collecting $5,000 deposits to join a waiting list. Reports suggest that several hundred people participated, validating the concept.

No matter the method, pretotyping is about testing desirability before committing significant resources. If an idea doesn’t resonate, it’s better to fail fast and cheaply while measuring genuine interest.

Pretotyping Essentials

Creating a pretotype—or several—allows you to assess a concept’s desirability before committing significant time, energy, and resources to product development. However, like any tool, its effectiveness depends on how well it’s applied. To achieve meaningful results, it’s essential to approach pretotyping thoughtfully.

Navigating Ethical Considerations

Pretotyping often involves simulating a real solution to gather quality data. However, ethical dilemmas can arise. One of the well-known examples of this is the second-day sushi scenario.

In such situations, it's crucial to never leave people feeling cheated. The solution could range from disclosing your experiment to compensating any loss in revenue from your tests. Essentially, transparency and communication are key actions to consider.

Moreover, if they click the 'buy' button on your prototype site, reward their attention with a pop-up saying the product is still being developed. Offer to sign them up for the waitlist, or provide a discount on the product. At early stages, it is vital to nurture those who show interest in your product.

Understanding Pretotype Terms

Don’t be overwhelmed by the fancy names of these pretotypes. It is just jargon so people understand each other better. Think of them like ‘ultrasound’, ‘PETscan’, or ‘MRI’. 

You don’t go to the hospital with the goal of getting an ultrasound. They perform an ultrasound because it is the most economical tool they have to get the information they need about your condition.

Do any of the above-mentioned examples fit perfectly with what you are trying to prove? Great! By all means, copy any of those pretotype versions. It is, however, way more likely that you have to design your own test and that your pretotype will only vaguely resemble those from above.

Measuring Success in Pretotyping

One of the strongest proofs of product desirability is the change in user behaviour, especially when it aligns with your predicted outcome. For instance, a click on the 'buy' button could indicate a strong commitment from the user. However, remember that each pretotyping test also subtly tests elements of your business model like pricing, distribution channel, or brand identity.

The bottom line? The best proof of desirability is when your users open their wallets.

Evaluating Business Viability

Bear in mind that every desirability test also assesses elements of your business model. You might be unwittingly testing distribution channels, pricing models, or brand identities. Always be aware of what business-related elements your pretotype is testing. If your results aren't as expected, tweak these elements and try again.

Maximise Your Pretotyping Efforts

To extract the most value from your pretotyping efforts, it’s essential to consider several key factors that can significantly enhance your results:

1. Speed and Simplicity: Pretotyping is fundamentally about swift validation of ideas. To achieve this, it’s important to keep the process simple. Focus on the core elements of your concept and avoid getting bogged down in excessive details. The goal is to quickly assess whether an idea is worth pursuing without investing too much time or resources upfront.
2. It's Not About Perfection: One common misconception is that pretotyping requires a flawless product. In reality, the aim is not to achieve perfection but rather to test the viability of your concept under real-world conditions. Embrace the idea that imperfections are part of the learning process; they can provide valuable insights that guide future iterations.
3. Learn From Feedback: Engaging potential users early in the pretotyping phase is crucial. Actively seek their feedback, listen to their perspectives, and use this information to refine your idea. By understanding user expectations and preferences, you can ensure that your solution is aligned with what the market truly needs, increasing the chances of success.
4. Scope and Quantity: When it comes to testing ideas, a broad approach is beneficial. Don’t hesitate to explore a wide range of concepts and variations to discover what resonates with your target audience. This diverse testing strategy not only helps identify successful ideas but also uncovers potential pitfalls, paving the way for innovative breakthroughs.

Remember, pretotyping is an iterative process of learning, refining, and retesting. Each cycle brings you closer to a solution that meets user needs and stands out in the market. Make the most out of this approach, and you’ll be well on your way to developing innovative solutions that can make a significant impact.

That's a Wrap

Pretotyping is a fast, cost-effective way to validate ideas, test desirability, and refine your business model before committing resources. By keeping it simple, gathering early user feedback, and embracing imperfection, you can align your concepts with market needs while uncovering valuable insights

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