The Art of Jank

Let's say you have an idea for a coffee table with adjustable-height legs so it can be used for other tasks.

It would be careless to take that idea straight to a factory to manufacture thousands of units.

You could go into a shed, get some scraps, or go to a hardware store and throw together what is needed for a prototype.

What you get is:

1. To see if the idea is even good. Having something in your hands and using it can reveal a key piece of why something doesn't exist already.
2. To show others. You can get feedback and even lend prototypes to see if they get used.
3. To find refinements. Working on something that exists shows you where things need to be improved or changed.

??? The first Harley-Davidson motorcycle was built in a garden shed.

???? Yvon Chouinard started by hand-making climbing gear in his backyard to sell to fellow climbers, eventually growing Patagonia.

?? The Wright brothers built and tested their first aeroplane prototypes in their bicycle shop and nearby fields.

?? Sara Blakely created the first Spanx prototype by cutting the feet off a pair of pantyhose.

But here is the thing: When I talk to prospective clients who want to build an app or SaaS platform, they want to go from idea to full production app at scale.

The art of building prototypes is being lost in the world of digital products at a time when all the resources needed to build one are free, accessible, and easy to use.

But one place that is still true is in Video Games. Many of the biggest titles start off as janky prototypes to test a gameplay mechanic or a particular level design.

Some of the rougher versions, barely out of the prototyping stage go into early adopter programs because success is easier if you build with people rather than just for them.

Example: Factorio in early-release vs now

So, if you have an idea, my advice is to build a prototype and find a way to get it in front of people. Here are some useful tips.

• Use existing tools, like the open-source self-hosted option, to test your ideas.
• Building and releasing a landing page with your value proposition is never too early.
• Use frameworks, people have already written a bunch of code so you don't have to.
• Use no-code solutions, why bother writing code if you don't have to.
• And if you have to code, do what you can in less than 100 lines. Keep it brief and succinct.
• Understand that people will accept rough edges if you solve an urgent problem directly.