I have a friend who describes himself as an "ideas guy." He regularly proposes grandiose business initiatives, solutions to global issues, and creative ideas for novels. And I can't lie—I often find myself leaning forward with wide eyes, like a kid listening to a ghost story at camp.
The catch? There's rarely a plan.
While it's fine to brainstorm creative ideas with friends and not have a plan of attack, it's less viable in a corporate context when big bucks are on the line. That's where a proof of concept comes in—the first step in bringing an idea to life.
To help you (and your ideas guy), I've put together a quick guide to writing a proof of concept with a template that shows you what you're working toward.
Table of contents:
Proof of concept definition
A proof of concept (POC) is the process of proving that an idea is feasible. It's a screening phase to decide whether the idea can and should be brought to life. A POC may very well reveal that a great-on-paper proposal doesn't have legs to stand on, in which case it should be revised or trashed. It's similar to a painted door test, which can shed light on the popularity of an idea.
What is a proof of concept trying to achieve?
A proof of concept demonstrates that an idea has real potential. It's a way to test whether a concept is valid and feasible given different factors like timing, market conditions, and cost of development.
So when your ideas guy pitches a new plan for a business, product, or money-making scheme, a POC helps you and your investors determine if it's realistic and worth pursuing.
POCs are used across industries and departments, but they're most valuable in areas like IT, health care, and product development, where innovation tends to be expensive and resource-intensive.
Why a proof of concept is valuable
There's no worse feeling than looking back on hours of work to realize that they've been for nothing. Proofs of concept aim to prevent this from happening. Here's why you shouldn't skip this step when building out an idea:
Prevents wasted resources: Most projects demand a lot of resources—both tangible, like money and materials, and intangible, like time and energy. If you dive into a project—such as a new product launch—before proving it can be done, there's a decent chance it'll end up flopping and costing you big time.
Builds investor and stakeholder confidence: Investors are excellent judges of risk and reward. If your POC proves that your idea is likely to succeed, it's much more likely to attract support from investors than if it were left untested.
Helps you get ahead: A POC is about being proactive and forward-thinking. It forces you to consider logistics in advance, making your job easier when you move onto later stages of development.
Identifies roadblocks or challenges early: Even if an idea proves viable, it may be difficult to execute. For example, a POC for a new device might uncover logistical barriers to manufacturing it at scale, which could impact the organization's decision to go through with it.
Reduces risk: By testing the feasibility of your idea in a low-stakes environment, a POC helps you catch major issues before they become costly, lowering the chances of full-scale project failure.
Provides early user feedback: If you can test your concept with real users, you'll get valuable insight into how your target audience responds, allowing you to fine-tune your idea before committing to full development.
Proof of concept vs. prototype vs. minimum viable product (MVP)
Chances are, you've heard the term "prototype" used more colloquially than "proof of concept." They're often used interchangeably, though they're completely different stages of an idea's evolution.
A proof of concept's only purpose is to show whether you can reasonably create a product.Â
A prototype is a model of the product that follows POC approval. It's usually staged in the real world as opposed to a controlled setting to determine how the product would actually perform.
A minimum viable product (MVP) goes a step further—it's an advanced prototype that contains all of the basic features a user would need to use a product. It likely has some issues that need to be worked out, but it provides a solid idea of what it would be like to use the end product.
How to write a proof of concept (5 steps)
As with any business proposal you'd show to executives and investors, there's a method to developing a proof of concept. Check all of the following boxes as you write yours.
Step 1: Describe what problem you're trying to solve (and for whom)
Investors aren't going to funnel money into a project that doesn't solve a specific problem for a specific market. To determine your market's pain points, don't just trust your gut—collect data directly from the people you aim to serve. For example, you could conduct a focus group or set of interviews with people in your market to confirm that your idea would serve them well.
What to include:Â
The problem your product solves, clearly and concisely
The target audience you're building for, backed by data or user insights
A project or product name that identifies your concept, branded or descriptive
Step 2: Provide a list of the resources you'll need to complete it
It takes a lot of tangible and intangible resources to create a new product (especially at scale). Create a comprehensive list of everything you need to roll it out. Apart from obvious resources like materials and machines, be mindful of commonly overlooked items like time spent on research and sourcing external expertise.
What to include:Â
A detailed list of resources needed, including funding, materials, tools, and team requirements
Step 3: Define success metrics and performance goals
Before you draw any conclusions about your POC, you have to set specific criteria for success and/or failure. If you're designing a product for a client, you'll want to ask them what their criteria are. If not, conduct your own research and determine them yourself. For example, if you have an idea for a new hair product, you may set specific thresholds for material sourcing cost, manufacturing time, and time you would need to devote to marketing.
You may be tempted to set generous standards to help your idea look good, but doing so can easily backfire. The last thing you want is to move forward with an idea that eats up company time and resources without the payoff.
What to include:Â
The success metrics or KPIs that will help you measure progress and determine feasibility
Step 4: Identify your team and stakeholders
A successful POC depends on having the right people in place. Identify who will be directly involved in developing and testing the concept. This can include designers, engineers, researchers, or marketers, as well as the decision-makers who will approve or fund the project. Include key stakeholders whose input or buy-in is essential, and clarify everyone's roles and responsibilities. This keeps the process organized and transparent from the start.
What to include:Â
A list of team members and stakeholders involved, along with their roles and decision-making responsibilities
Step 5: Set a scope and timeline
To what extent do you expect to scale your project, and how quickly do you plan to do so? Maybe you'll initially release the new product in one locale or country, measure its success, then scale it further over time. Or maybe you'll lose no time and execute a full launch all at once. Include these details in your POC to inform investors and executives of your pacing.
Once you've finished your POC, you can move forward with building a prototype, testing it on members of your target audience, and collecting and implementing their feedback as you develop your MVP.
What to include:Â
A clear project scope outlining your rollout plan and key milestones
A realistic timeline showing how long each phase will take and in what order
Proof of concept template
In case your ideas guy happens to be the colleague who'll be in charge of writing your proof of concept document, refer them to this template as a starting point. The POC template includes everything you'll need to expedite the process of validating the project.
3 proof of concept examples
Looking for a little more guidance on approaching POCs? No problem—here are some examples of what a POC might look like in a few different industries.
Sales and marketing
A clothing company might have an idea for a new line of breathable sweatpants. Its POC may identify 40-to-60-year-old athletes as its target market after fielding a survey revealing that this cohort gets uncomfortable exercising in traditional sweatpants during winter months.
It might also list the resources needed to manufacture these sweatpants, the logistics for securing those materials and producing the sweatpants, and a plan for releasing them to the public. It should ultimately show whether the product is on track to meet KPIs, such as a predetermined profit margin.
Software development
A software company might have an idea for a new project management app and identify startups and small businesses as its target market. It should also describe why there's an unmet need for project management tools among small businesses.
The POC would need to describe a timeline for developing the software, whether new tools are needed to create it, and whether the company has enough internal expertise to make it happen (among other considerations).
Restaurant
A parent company that owns several restaurant chains might have an idea to open a new seafood restaurant affordable to lower-middle-class families. The POC would have a lot of ground to cover, including logistics for location, permitting, construction, sourcing food and decor, and more.
It might include a plan to start small, with a food truck or stand at local fairs, before building the first restaurant in a coastal city. It should also address whether it could become profitable within a reasonable time frame.
Automate your way from POC to launch
Now that you have everything you need to write a POC, it's time to validate your creative ideas. As you move toward prototyping, Zapier's AI orchestration platform can help you bridge the gap between concept and execution—without needing a dev team on standby.
You can use Zapier Interfaces to quickly spin up a working front end for your idea, Zapier Tables to manage and update structured data in real time, and Zapier Agents to simulate user interactions or serve as the backbone for service logic. Want to test a lightweight CRM, connect a survey tool to an email sequence, or create a data dashboard that flags anomalies as they happen? You can do all of that in one place.
That means your proof of concept doesn't have to stay on paper. You can build a live, interactive version of your idea that collects real data, automates backend tasks, and proves feasibility—not just in theory, but in action. It's a fast, low-risk way to show stakeholders exactly what's possible before committing to a full build.
Related reading:
This article was originally published in December 2022 and has also had contributions from Jeremy Payton. The most recent update was in May 2025.
