Prototyping
Your product might be failing before you've made it.
Sometimes the most expensive prototype is the one you build before you know who buys it and why. execom offers founders an alternative to the conventional design-build path.
Prototype readiness assessment
- 6
- short sections
- 20–30
- minutes for most people
- 2
- business days to a recommendation
Drafts auto-save, so you can step away and come back.
Start the assessment01Who it's for
Founders with a physical product and real intent to commercialize.
You have sketches, maybe a rough prototype, and friends who like it. The next step feels obvious: hire a designer, build it, tool it up. It almost never is.
What gets answered before anything is built:
- 01Would anyone outside your immediate circle pay for it?
- 02What would they pay?
- 03Where would they buy it?
- 04Do the unit economics hold up when the freight bills arrive?
You have sketches, maybe a rough prototype, possibly some friends and family who say it's a great idea. The next step feels obvious: hire a designer, get a real prototype, tool it up.
It almost never is. The next step is figuring out whether anyone outside your immediate circle would pay for it, what they'd pay, where they'd buy it, and whether the unit economics hold up when the freight bills arrive. That's what we do before anything gets built.
02Three paths
One assessment. Three honest paths forward.
You complete a short readiness assessment. We review it and recommend one of three engagements based on where the concept actually is.
- 01
Validation Sprint
Customer interviews, willingness-to-pay tests, competitor teardowns, and a go / no-go memo. Use this when the buyer and price are still hypotheses.
Typical timeline: 2–4 weeks
- 02
Prototype Blueprint
Industrial design, material selection, supplier shortlist, BOM, and a packaging / freight strategy. Use this once demand is real.
Typical timeline: 4–8 weeks
- 03
Build & Launch Plan
Tooling, first production run, brand and content for launch, retail and DTC channel strategy. Use this once the blueprint is locked.
Typical timeline: 3–6 months
Not ready for any of the three?
That's the most useful thing we can tell you. In those cases we recommend a short Product Reality Review instead of selling you work you shouldn't do.
03The assessment
Six short sections. Plain language, honest answers.
It takes most people 20–30 minutes. Drafts auto-save, so you can step away and come back. Your answers decide the recommended next step.
What it is, why someone would want it, and what makes your version different.
Who is most likely to pay for it, what they have already told you, and what you think they would pay.
The parts, materials, size, weight, and how someone would store it.
How the finished product moves through the box, the truck, and onto a shelf or doorstep.
The channels you imagine selling through, and why those channels would actually work.
The kind of help you are looking for, what is realistic for budget right now, and how to reach you.
Find out where you actually stand, before you spend.
Take the Prototype Readiness Assessment. We'll review your answers and respond within two business days with the recommended next step.
Keep going
Where to next
Design & manufacturing
Industrial design
Product form, CAD, materials, and production documentation developed together.
Marketing & sales
Go-to-market & international entry
Sequence the audience, offer, channels, and markets before launch spend.
Funding & SR&ED
SR&ED
Organize eligible R&D work, supporting records, and claim preparation.