Agile software development is a method that helps developers create and deliver applications quickly and efficiently with continuous improvement in mind. PoC (Proof of Concept) is a kind of testing the water before committing resources to the development of the product in the form of the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) or full-fledged product. One of the main benefits of building a PoC as part of your Agile development process is that it allows you to fail fast. This provides much-needed feedback on the risk and feasibility of the product. This can be used to determine whether to proceed with the product idea or pivot early to an alternate plan, saving time and resources.
With a PoC, the design and development team can experiment with ideas quickly, solicit feedback early on the UI, and work with multiple technologies, approaches, or features to assess their feasibility. This is helpful for the team for early detection of any risk involved, gathering insights about industry standards and best practices, and mitigating any costly mistakes later. Additionally, due to this exploratory approach, the team will have opportunities to learn, thereby nurturing an innovation culture within the organization.
Startup companies can make use of a PoC to test the waters with early-stage investors and potential lighthouse clients by demonstrating the concept’s development potential. A PoC in an agile environment gives the team the opportunity to deliver a product demo as a very powerful part of this iterative process. Even failed PoCs or changes in user needs will allow the team to quickly pivot to new ideas, conserving time, and resources.
The agile framework helps make products better and faster. A PoC serves as a preliminary step and is about trying new technologies and business ideas to check the viability of the product idea without wasting too much time and resources. A PoC in agile empowers the team to rapidly experiment with the product idea and collect solid data to confirm its viability.