Testing Feasibility: Methods, Benefits, and How to Get It Right

Testing Feasibility: Ensuring Your Product Ideas are Buildable

When we talk about validating feasibility, the engineers are really trying to answer several related questions:

• Do we know how to build this?
• Do we have the skills on the team to build this?
• Do we have enough time to build this?
• Do we need any architectural changes to build this?
• Do we have on hand all the components we need to build this?
• Do we understand the dependencies involved in building this?
• Will the performance be acceptable?
• Will it scale to the levels we need?
• Do we have the infrastructure necessary to test and run this?
• Can we afford the cost to provision this?

Common Feasibility Challenges

Don't be alarmed. Most product ideas that engineers review will be met with a quick "No problem" because they have built similar things many times before. However, there are definitely ideas where this is not the case, and some or many of these questions can be very difficult for the engineers to answer.

A common example today is evaluating machine-learning technology, making build/buy decisions, and assessing whether the technology is suitable for the job at hand.

Effective Feasibility Assessment

Here's some practical advice: holding a weekly planning meeting where you throw a bunch of ideas at the engineers and demand estimates is almost certain to go badly. Engineers put on the spot without time to investigate will likely give a conservative answer to make you go away.

Instead, if engineers have been following along as the team tries out ideas with customers using prototypes, they will have already been considering the issues. Give the engineers time to investigate and consider the feasibility. Ask them, "What's the best way to do this and how long would it take?" rather than just "Can you do this?"

Feasibility Prototypes

Engineers may sometimes need to create a feasibility prototype to answer specific questions. If so, first consider whether the idea is potentially worth the time investment. If it is, encourage the engineers to proceed.

Embracing the Unknown

Many product managers dislike product ideas that require additional time to investigate, seeing them as too risky and time-consuming. However, I personally love these items for a few reasons:

1. Innovation Potential: Many of our best product ideas are based on solving problems with new technologies that require time to investigate and learn.

2. Improved Solutions: When engineers are given even a day or two to investigate, they often come back with good answers to feasibility questions and better ways to solve the problem.

3. Team Motivation: These challenging items are often very motivating to the team, giving them an opportunity to learn and shine.

Conclusion

Testing feasibility is a crucial step in product development. By giving engineers the time and space to thoroughly investigate and consider the best ways to build your product ideas, you not only validate feasibility but also drive innovation and team engagement. Embrace the unknown, and you might discover your next breakthrough idea.