A prototype is a question you can put in someone’s hands.
An ambitious idea usually arrives with a long list of things it could become. Before building all of them, it helps to ask a smaller question: what would we need to learn to know whether this is worth pursuing?
Start with the uncertainty.
Maybe people don’t understand the offer. Maybe a task takes too many steps. Maybe the technology works, but doesn’t fit into anyone’s day. Pick the uncertainty that matters most. Then build only enough to test it.
Make it real enough to learn.
A paper sketch can test a conversation. A clickable screen can reveal a confusing flow. A simple working tool can show whether someone comes back. The right prototype is the one that makes the question answerable.
Let the answer change the plan.
Watch what people do. Ask what surprised them. Notice the workarounds. If the idea needs to change, that’s useful progress. The goal is to learn while change is still inexpensive.
Build a little. Learn something that matters. Decide what comes next.