Overview
A Pocket Smoke Test is an evaluative market experiment method for validating mobile apps or physical products through simple prototypes and hands-on user feedback.
Key Questions Answered
- Am I building the right product?
- Does the product have the right features relative to the value proposition?
- Does the user understand the product structure?
- How does the user expect to interact with the solution?
- Does the user understand how to achieve goals using the prototype?
- What constraints does the user have?
Description
This smoke test validates whether a proposed solution appropriately addresses an identified problem. As noted, "You are focusing on the main 'happy case.' Is it something users want?"
The method uses a prototype as a conversation starter. Prototypes can be rough—the goal is learning, not perfection.
Process
- Sketch the product design (simple or detailed)
- Build or assemble using available tools (3D printing, Arduino, manual construction, etc.)
- Show to pre-qualified customers who experience the target problem
Time Commitment
Ranges from hours (mobile mockups using InVision or Paper Prototyping) to significantly longer for custom hardware components.
Interpreting Results
Ask users what they find valuable and compare your prototype to their current problem-solving approaches.
Implementation in GLIDR
Create an Experiment, connect relevant ideas, document Evidence through user Interviews, then assess results to guide iterations.
Adapted from The Real Startup Book, edited by Tristan Kromer and published by Kromatic, under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.