Proof of concept is presenting or demonstrating a concept, sometimes as a prototype to a potential user group, to validate if the idea is feasible or if it will potentially be successful.
One way to test if an idea will work is through Swot Analysis which you would use to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and any potential threats of a project or business. It helps identify internal and external factors that may impact the success or failure of the concept.
Strengths Internal factors that can give the product a positive impact, such as knowledge, brand reputation or intellectual property.
Weaknesses Internal factors that can give the product a negative impact, such as poor product quality or bad customer service.
Opportunities External factors that might have the potential to give the product a positive impact, this could be from a strong market growth prediction or absorbing competitors.
Threats External factors that might have the potential to give the product a negative impact. This could be from a new competitor or government regulations.
In order to find if there is even a need for the product you want to develop, basic steps can be taken to find out necessary information in the beginning stage, starting with users.
User research is the basis of any UX journey and there are a number of ways to carry out this research.
Competitor reviews - take a look at your comepitors and what the users have to say. What pain points do they have, what recommendation's have the made to make that app better or additional services features the product or thing should have.
Online survey - Online surveys are a great way to gather user research and find the answers to exactly the questions you want to ask. This method is often free and can pull in many respondents.
Social media - This is where a lot of users take to to express themselves, likes and dislikes.
User research is vital as your opinions, thoughts and feelings may not be the same as your target user group.