Stakeholders are pushing for a quick prototype completion. How can you set realistic expectations?

Quick does not always mean unrealistic, and there is a difference between the two. The first step should be to assess if the prototype takes few hours, few days or few weeks to complete. If its a low-medium effort AND if it is critical, then its better to make quick check of resource availability and align the internal stakeholders and then start the work rather than follow each step of the process which could prove counter productive. Its great to be process driven, but for low effort and high important work, its important to also be flexible.

Take the time to explain each development phase, highlighting how it contributes to the bigger picture. This helps set realistic expectations and leads to a stronger, more sustainable product in the long run.

1. First, evaluate if the prototype is truly critical and its complexity. Is it a few hours, days, or weeks of work? 2. Engage stakeholders to understand their underlying motivations. Are they trying to impress investors, test a market hypothesis, or meet a competitive threat? 3. For truly critical, low-effort prototypes, consider a flexible approach. Can we streamline processes without compromising essential quality checks? 4. Explain key development stages, highlighting how each contributes to product success. This builds understanding of necessary timelines. 5. Suggest delivering a minimal viable prototype quickly, followed by iterative improvements. This satisfies the need for speed while ensuring quality.

Breaking down the development into phases & showing what outcomes will be achieved within each phase, provides clarity & confidence to your stakeholders

1. Break down the process into stages like research, design, development, testing, and refinement. 2. Assign realistic timeframes based on past projects and team capacity. 3. Create a Gantt chart to visualize the project flow and dependencies. 4. Include 15-20% buffer time for unforeseen challenges. 5. Highlight critical paths that can't be shortened. 6. Show parallel work streams to optimize time. 7. Mark key milestones for stakeholder input. 8. Provide regular updates and scenario planning to manage expectations and maintain transparency.

1. Specify the team expertise, materials, and tools needed for each development phase. 2. Emphasize that the prototype's quality is directly related to the resources available. 3. If stakeholders want a faster turnaround, explain the trade-offs like higher costs, reduced features, or simpler design. 4. Be upfront about the resources required at each stage. This helps stakeholders understand the connection between resources and outcomes. 5. Provide stakeholders with a clear picture of what can be compromised for speed, helping them make informed decisions. 6. Strategically allocate resources to critical areas to maximize efficiency and maintain quality.

1. Develop in stages, allowing for adjustments and improvements based on feedback. 2. Emphasize that prototypes are for learning and refinement, not final products. 3. Highlight potential shortcuts and efficiencies that can save time. 4. Stress the importance of stakeholder feedback after each iteration. 5. Be transparent about the possibility of revisiting steps, which may add time. 6. Define clear milestones for each iteration and how they contribute to the final product. 7. Include buffer time for unforeseen issues. 8. Maintain regular communication with stakeholders on progress, challenges, and changes.

1. Identify potential risks related to timelines, resources, technical challenges, and stakeholder changes. 2. Assess the potential impact and likelihood of each identified risk. 3. Highlight risks of cutting corners to meet aggressive deadlines, like increased costs and further delays. 4. Share a realistic risk assessment with stakeholders, detailing potential pitfalls of a hurried process. 5. Emphasize impacts on project success, including compromised quality and technical debt. 6. Create strategies to mitigate or avoid high-priority risks and develop contingency plans. 7. Regularly review and update the risk assessment. 8. Maintain transparency with stakeholders about risks and measures taken.

Yes, keeping stakeholder updated and taking regular feedbacks is the key to avoid lats minute changes/updates from them. Keep them posted via mails, cases (like JIRA), or wiki pages/documents (such as in Confluence) right from implementation proposal to final outcome.

Always be prepared for the unknowns and in this case Offer Alternatives. Propose a Minimum Viable Product (MVP): Suggest focusing on core functionalities first, which can be built upon later. Involve Stakeholders: Encourage input on prioritizing features to align on what’s most critical for the prototype. 6