Kindergarten prototyping is a creative and playful approach to designing and testing new products or services. It involves using simple and inexpensive materials, such as paper, cardboard, clay, or Lego, to create low-fidelity prototypes that can be quickly iterated and evaluated. This method is inspired by the way children learn and explore the world through play, experimentation, and feedback.
Kindergarten prototyping is important for startups because it can help them:
- Save time and money: By using readily available and cheap materials, startups can avoid spending too much time and money on developing high-fidelity prototypes that may not meet the needs or expectations of their customers. Instead, they can focus on the core features and value proposition of their product or service, and test them with real users in a fast and cost-effective way.
- generate and test ideas: kindergarten prototyping allows startups to generate a large number of ideas and test them with different scenarios and assumptions. This can help them discover new opportunities, identify problems, and validate hypotheses. It can also foster creativity and innovation, as well as collaboration and communication among team members and stakeholders.
- Learn from users: Kindergarten prototyping enables startups to involve users in the design and development process, and get direct and immediate feedback from them. This can help them understand the needs, preferences, and behaviors of their target audience, and improve their product or service accordingly. It can also help them build trust and loyalty with their customers, and increase their satisfaction and retention.
Some examples of kindergarten prototyping in action are:
- Dropbox: The cloud storage startup used a simple video to demonstrate how their product works, and posted it on a landing page to gauge user interest and demand. The video showed a mock-up of the Dropbox interface, and explained how users can sync and share files across devices. The video was made with a screen recording software and a voice-over, and cost less than $100 to produce. The result was a huge increase in sign-ups, from 5,000 to 75,000 overnight.
- Airbnb: The online marketplace for short-term rentals used paper cut-outs and glue to create a prototype of their website, and tested it with potential users. The paper prototype showed the basic features and functions of the website, such as searching, browsing, and booking listings. The team observed how users interacted with the prototype, and asked them questions to get feedback and insights. The paper prototype helped them validate their idea, and improve their user interface and experience.
- Zappos: The online shoe retailer used a simple and low-risk approach to test their business model, before investing in inventory and infrastructure. The founder, Nick Swinmurn, went to a local shoe store, took pictures of the shoes, and posted them on a website. When someone ordered a pair, he would buy them from the store, and ship them to the customer. This way, he was able to test the market demand and customer satisfaction, and prove that his idea was viable.
FasterCapital introduces you to angels and VCs through warm introductions with 90% response rate
Kindergarten prototyping is a powerful approach that can help startups succeed in a competitive and uncertain market. It is inspired by the way children learn and play in kindergarten, where they use simple materials and tools to create, test, and improve their ideas. By applying this mindset and method to the business world, entrepreneurs can reap the following benefits:
- Creativity: Kindergarten prototyping encourages divergent thinking and exploration of multiple possibilities. It allows startups to generate novel and original solutions that meet the needs and desires of their customers. For example, Airbnb used kindergarten prototyping to create a new service that connects travelers with local hosts, offering them a unique and authentic experience.
- Collaboration: Kindergarten prototyping fosters a culture of teamwork and communication. It enables startups to involve different stakeholders, such as customers, partners, investors, and mentors, in the process of co-creating and co-evaluating their products. For example, Dropbox used kindergarten prototyping to create a video that demonstrated the value proposition of their product, and shared it with potential users and investors, gaining feedback and traction.
- Experimentation: Kindergarten prototyping promotes a lean and agile approach to product development. It allows startups to build, measure, and learn from their prototypes, and iterate based on the data and insights they collect. For example, Instagram used kindergarten prototyping to test different features and functionalities of their app, and pivoted from a location-based service to a photo-sharing service based on user behavior and feedback.
- Feedback: Kindergarten prototyping facilitates a continuous loop of learning and improvement. It enables startups to gather qualitative and quantitative feedback from their prototypes, and use it to validate their assumptions and hypotheses, and refine their value proposition and business model. For example, Uber used kindergarten prototyping to launch a minimum viable product (MVP) that matched drivers and riders, and used the feedback to optimize their pricing, service quality, and customer satisfaction.
FasterCapital's internal network of investors works with you on improving your pitching materials and approaching investors the right way!
One of the most valuable skills that entrepreneurs can learn from children is how to prototype their ideas with playfulness, curiosity, and experimentation. Kindergarten prototyping is a method that encourages you to use simple, low-cost, and readily available materials to create and test your concepts in a fun and iterative way. By adopting this approach, you can avoid getting stuck in analysis paralysis, overcome your fear of failure, and discover new possibilities for your startup. Here are some of the principles of kindergarten prototyping and how you can apply them to your own venture:
- 1. Think with your hands. Children use their hands to manipulate objects, explore shapes and textures, and express their creativity. They do not wait for instructions or permission, they just start playing and making. You can do the same by using materials such as paper, cardboard, clay, Lego, or anything else you can find to build your prototypes. This will help you to visualize your ideas, communicate them to others, and get feedback quickly.
- 2. Embrace constraints. Children do not see limitations as obstacles, but as opportunities to be more inventive. They use whatever they have at hand, and improvise with their imagination. You can do the same by setting yourself some boundaries, such as time, budget, or resources, and challenging yourself to come up with solutions within those constraints. This will help you to focus on the essential features of your product, service, or business model, and avoid unnecessary complexity.
- 3. Learn by doing. Children do not worry about making mistakes, they learn from them. They try different things, observe the results, and adjust their actions accordingly. They do not seek perfection, they seek progress. You can do the same by testing your prototypes with real users, customers, or stakeholders, and collecting feedback. This will help you to validate your assumptions, identify problems, and discover opportunities for improvement.
- 4. Have fun. Children enjoy playing, and they do not take themselves too seriously. They are not afraid to experiment, fail, or laugh at themselves. They are motivated by curiosity, joy, and satisfaction. You can do the same by injecting some humor, surprise, and delight into your prototyping process. This will help you to keep your enthusiasm, overcome your challenges, and create a positive experience for yourself and your audience.
Some examples of kindergarten prototyping in action are:
- Airbnb. The founders of Airbnb used cereal boxes to create their first prototypes of their website and brand. They also used their own apartment as a test bed for their service, and learned from their guests' feedback.
- Dropbox. The founder of Dropbox used a simple video to demonstrate how his product worked, and to gauge the market demand. He also used paper sketches and mockups to design the user interface and features.
- Zappos. The founder of Zappos used his own credit card to buy shoes from local stores, and then sold them online to test his idea of an online shoe retailer. He also used a personal phone line to handle customer service and feedback.
Kindergarten prototyping is not just a fun and creative way to generate ideas, but also a powerful and practical tool to test and validate them. By adopting this approach, you can avoid wasting time and resources on building products that nobody wants or needs. Instead, you can focus on creating solutions that solve real problems and deliver value to your customers.
How can you make kindergarten prototyping a part of your startup culture and practice? Here are some tips to get you started:
- 1. Embrace the mindset of a child. Children are naturally curious, playful, and imaginative. They are not afraid to experiment, fail, and learn from their mistakes. They are also open to feedback and collaboration. These are the qualities that you need to cultivate as a kindergarten prototyper. Don't let your assumptions, biases, or fears limit your creativity. Be willing to explore, question, and challenge the status quo. Have fun and enjoy the process of discovery and learning.
- 2. Define the problem and the goal. Before you start prototyping, you need to have a clear understanding of the problem that you are trying to solve and the goal that you are trying to achieve. This will help you to focus your efforts and measure your progress. You can use tools such as the problem statement or the value proposition canvas to articulate the problem and the goal in a simple and concise way. For example, a problem statement could be: "How might we help busy parents to prepare healthy and delicious meals for their kids?" A value proposition canvas could be: "We offer a subscription-based service that delivers pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes for kid-friendly dishes to your doorstep."
- 3. generate and select ideas. Once you have defined the problem and the goal, you can start generating ideas for possible solutions. You can use techniques such as brainstorming, mind mapping, SCAMPER, or random word association to come up with as many ideas as possible. Don't judge or filter your ideas at this stage. Just let your imagination run wild. Then, you can select the most promising ideas based on criteria such as feasibility, desirability, and viability. You can use tools such as the dot voting or the impact vs effort matrix to prioritize and narrow down your ideas. For example, you might decide to prototype a solution that involves using a smart speaker to guide parents through the cooking process and provide tips and tricks along the way.
- 4. Build and test prototypes. Now that you have selected your ideas, you can start building and testing prototypes. A prototype is a simple and low-fidelity representation of your solution that you can use to get feedback from your target users. You can use materials such as paper, cardboard, clay, lego, play-doh, or sticky notes to create your prototypes. You can also use digital tools such as PowerPoint, Sketch, Figma, or Marvel to create mockups or wireframes of your solution. The key is to make your prototypes as fast and cheap as possible, so that you can iterate and improve them based on the feedback that you receive. You can use methods such as user interviews, usability testing, surveys, or A/B testing to collect feedback from your target users. You can also use tools such as the feedback grid or the Kano model to analyze and categorize the feedback that you receive. For example, you might find out that your users love the idea of using a smart speaker to cook, but they also want to see the recipes and the ingredients on their smartphone or tablet.
- 5. Learn and iterate. The final step of kindergarten prototyping is to learn from the feedback that you receive and iterate on your prototypes accordingly. You can use tools such as the lean canvas or the business model canvas to document your learnings and assumptions and to update your value proposition and business model. You can also use tools such as the pivot, persevere, or kill framework to decide whether to continue, change, or abandon your solution. The goal is to validate your solution and to achieve a product-market fit, which means that you have created a product that your customers want, need, and are willing to pay for. For example, you might decide to pivot your solution and to create a mobile app that integrates with the smart speaker and provides the recipes and the ingredients for the parents to cook.
By following these steps, you can make kindergarten prototyping a part of your startup culture and practice. You can also apply this approach to other aspects of your startup, such as marketing, sales, or customer service. Kindergarten prototyping can help you to create products that delight your customers and to grow your startup successfully. Remember, the key is to play, learn, and iterate. Happy prototyping!
The successful entrepreneurs that I see have two characteristics: self-awareness and persistence. They're able to see problems in their companies through their self-awareness and be persistent enough to solve them.
Read Other Blogs