Case study · Startups
Validation Sprint.
Discovery and a clickable prototype, before any build
We helped a founder get clear before building — a focused discovery workshop, prioritized requirements, and a clickable prototype of one core journey to put in front of real users.
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- Startups & new products
- What we built
- 3 integrated components
- Key outcome
- 1 week To a clickable prototype
Overview
Getting clear before writing code.
A first-time founder had a product idea and a deadline, but no spec, no designs, and a limited budget — and needed to know what to build before paying to build it.
They wanted to test the core idea with real users and investors without committing months of development to assumptions.
- A broad idea with no agreed, prioritized scope
- Nothing tangible to show users or investors
- A real risk of building the wrong thing first
- A limited budget that ruled out a full build upfront
The goal was a decision: a clear, costed plan and a prototype to validate before building.
Experience flow
From rough idea to a tested prototype.
The solution
A sprint that de-risks the build.
We ran a focused sprint to turn the idea into a plan and a prototype — no production code, just the clarity to build the right thing.
Core components
Three pieces, one outcome: know what to build, see it working, and hold a fixed quote to do it.
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01
Discovery workshop
Discovery
Mapped the users, the core problem, and what success looks like
Prioritized features into a first release and a later backlog
Agreed the one core journey worth prototyping
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02
Clickable prototype
Design
Designed the core journey as a prototype you can click through
Bounded to an agreed screen count
Built to put in front of real users and stakeholders
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03
Build plan & quote
Plan
A concise build brief and a recommended technical approach
Editable design files, yours to keep
A fixed quote for the build — no obligation to continue
Stack used
- TypeScript
- React
- Vite / Next.js static export
- Fake data — no API or DB
Implementation approach
Phased delivery.
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01
Discovery workshop
Sat with the founder to map users, the core problem, success metrics, and the feature priorities.
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02
Prototype the core journey
Designed and built a clickable prototype of the one journey that mattered most, to an agreed screen count.
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03
Test and plan
Put the prototype in front of real users, captured feedback, and turned it into a build brief and a fixed quote.
Results
Outcomes at a glance.
- Discovery
- Clickable prototype
- No build commitment
I came in with a napkin sketch and a lot of opinions. Two weeks later I had a phased plan with real costs attached — and a clickable version of the core journey I could put in front of users and investors. We tested the one path that mattered before writing the expensive code, which saved me from building the wrong thing beautifully. And the plan is mine — I could hand it to any shop. I'm choosing to keep it here.
- Replaced assumptions with a prioritized, costed plan
- Gave the founder something real to show users and investors
- De-risked the build by validating the core journey first
- Left the founder free to build with us or anyone else
Impact & outcome
Clarity first, code second.
We delivered a decision, not a half-built product — a prioritized plan and a prototype that let the founder test the idea before committing to a build.
For a first product, the cheapest mistake to avoid is building the wrong thing. A short validation sprint surfaces that risk while it is still only a design.
The prototype also did a second job: it gave the founder a concrete thing to show investors, which is far easier than pitching an idea.
Not sure what to build yet?
We run focused validation sprints — discovery, a clickable prototype, and a fixed build quote — so you can test the idea before committing. We'll reply within one business day — no pressure, no sales script.
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