Prototypes: Develop and Sell Your Idea with No Code

A few months ago, I had a new friend come to me with an idea for a mobile application. He described it: talked about its various features, told stories about how the user would benefit, how he would market it, how it would catch fire and become an essential app, etc. After describing this, he asked the typical next question: how much would something like that cost?
The best answer to this question is not a number. Anyone to tries to give you a number is going to be wrong. You can't possibly know the work involved from a story. I tried to give him a number. Sticker shock.
A better approach would be to offer to work to help him develop a no code prototype. There are several benefits to this.

Help them develop their idea

This shifts the approach to a collaborative process. I have a former colleague who was fond of the adage: "You won't give them what they want until you give them what they asked for." Often their vision has much that's not accounted for. By bringing something from words to pictures, you help highlight those holes and give them the opportunity to think through them.

Prototype as requirements

The prototype can be the starting point for creating a product backlog, making the transition from prototype to development smoother. As you build out the prototype, it will start to reveal technical considerations. For example, if there's a section of data input forms, how will validation be handled? If you're integrating with facebook for authentication and providing a custom sign in process, how will those two classes of users coexist? 

Prototype as a sales tool

Once they realize how much it will cost to develop their idea, they may need to get buy in from stakeholders, or shop it around to raise capital. Having a functional prototype makes that process easier. 

Software development is expensive and slow. Prototyping can be expensive, too, but it's less expensive and much faster. Use the right tool for the job.