building working prototypes without code
TRANSCRIPT
Building Functional Prototypes*
@wadefoster
* No Coding required.
WHO AM I?
• CEO of Zapier
• Built original Zapier prototypein 54 hours at a hackathon
• Now over 800,000 users WADE FOSTER
What You’ll Learn
LEARN HOW TO…
• Build and launch in days, not months
LEARN HOW TO…
• Build and launch in days, not months
• Get v1 into the market prior to "the real version"
LEARN HOW TO…
• Build and launch in days, not months
• Get v1 into the market prior to "the real version"
• Use off-the-shelf software to make working apps
LEARN HOW TO…
• Build and launch in days, not months
• Get v1 into the market prior to "the real version"
• Use off-the-shelf software to make working apps
• Make money
What is functional prototyping?
An experience that delivers on a promise.
One where the user doesn't have to
pretend to get the desired result.
PAY NO ATTENTION
TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Wizard of Oz
Why Functional Prototyping
WHY FUNCTIONAL PROTOTYPING
• Let the user experience the "a ha!" moment
WHY FUNCTIONAL PROTOTYPING
• Let the user experience the "a ha!" moment
• Use it in production before a polished version is ready
WHY FUNCTIONAL PROTOTYPING
• Let the user experience the "a ha!" moment
• Use it in production before a polished version is ready
• It's as easy as non-functional prototypes
3 Case Studies
CASE STUDY #1
CASE STUDY: MAGIC
• Shared with a few friends
• Went viral on Product Hunt and Hacker News
• 30 users to thousands
CASE STUDY #2
CASE STUDY: GREEN SOCKS
• Live for 4 months
• 140 customers with mowed lawns
CASE STUDY #3
PIETER LEVELS
CASE STUDY: PIETER LEVELS
• Launched 12 startups in 12 months using these techniques
• NomadList, Taylor, Makebook.io are 3 of many
Tools for the Job
TOOLS: FORMS
• Typeform
• Google Forms
• Wufoo
• Gravity Forms
TOOLS: DATABASE
• Google Sheets
• Airtable
TOOLS: NOTIFICATIONS
• Twilio
• Gmail
• Mandrill
• Mailgun
POW!
When should I polish?
Are conversion rates low?
Can you keep up with demand?
Is it time to scale?
RECAP
• Let the user experience the "a ha!" moment
• Use it in production before a polished version is ready
• It's as easy as non-functional prototypes
LEARN MORE
https://zapier.com/blog/prototype-app-zapier/
https://makebook.io/
“UX for Lean Startups” by Laura Klein
QUESTIONS?
Follow @wadefoster on Twitter to learn more
Slides designed by Zapier alum Bryan Landers.
If you need help making prototypes, visit:
http://bryanlanders.com/work/cobble/
zapier.com
